“Knives Out” fans hear me out. There is a treat for you all, as Rian Johnson has officially announced the third installment in his massively successful Knives Out franchise. Yes! Daniel Craig will be back to solve another mystery. Johnson shared a brief teaser on his social media accounts, announcing that “Wake Up Dead Man” is set to be released in 2025 and confirming that Craig will reprise his role as Detective Benoit Blanc. Craig narrates in the teaser, “In the beginning, the knives came out. Then, behold, the glass was shattered. But my most dangerous case yet is about to be revealed.” While the return of Craig to one of the best roles in his career adds to the film’s anticipation, the storyline remains under wraps.
What are the Knives Out films all about?
Made under the direction of Rian Johnson, the first “Knives Out” film came out in 2019. Led by Craig, the film follows the story of Benoit Blanc, a famed private detective summoned to investigate the death of bestselling author Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer). Although police rule Harlan’s case a suicide, Blanc suspects foul play. He examines a host of clues and deceptive red herrings to ascertain his true manner of death. Johnson produced “Knives Out” with longtime collaborator Ram Bergman.
The film was critically and commercially successful, grossing $312 million against a budget of only $40 million. It was also nominated for multiple awards, including three Golden Globes, a BAFTA, and an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
The success of the first film subsequently led to the release of its second installment, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” which marked its release in 2022. It had a one-week limited theatrical release before heading to Netflix. The sequel film saw Blanc end up on a remote island in Greece for what appears to be a harmless ‘murder mystery weekend‘ held by a tech billionaire—before, of course, a murder occurs. The sequel received a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 95th Annual Academy Awards.
Interestingly, the titles of the Knives Out franchise have been taken from songs. The first movie, Knives Out, took its name from a Radiohead song. The title of the sequel film, Glass Onion, is derived from a song from The Beatles’ White Album. Moreover, the film included plenty of Beatles Easter eggs. Now, the third installment, Wake Up Dead Man, is a deep cut from the 1997 U2 album Pop.
Wake Up Dead Man is set to hit theaters and Netflix in 2025.
