Rian Johnson’s New Movie Was Harder To Write Than Star Wars: The Last Jedi

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Rian Johnson explains that making his latest film, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, presented more challenges than his work on the Star Wars films. After directing 2017’s Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, Johnson launched his popular mystery series with 2019’s Knives Out, which starred Daniel Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc.

The detective Benoit Blanc, first introduced in Knives Out and then in Glass Onion (2022), has become the central figure in a series of mysteries. These cases typically reveal wrongdoing among wealthy and influential people. This year, the series continues with Wake Up Dead Man, the third film, which also explores themes of religion and how belief can be manipulated and used for harmful purposes.

During a conversation with Todd Gilchrist from ScreenRant for Wake Up Dead Man, Johnson explained that exploring themes of faith made the third film one of his most challenging to write. He noted that the process of figuring out the story—or “puzzle-building,” as he put it—came naturally to him as a writer. You can read his full thoughts below.

ScreenRant asked Rian Johnson, after working on three of these films, whether it becomes easier to plan and write them due to experience, or if each film actually feels harder because he gives it his all every time.

Rian Johnson admits that writing doesn’t get any easier with experience, and in fact, it’s become more challenging. He says this particular project was the most difficult he’s ever tackled, even compared to all his previous work. It was a truly tough writing process.

I’m not sure how much people enjoyed it because of the mystery itself – it’s similar to the satisfaction of completing a crossword. However, as a writer, I believe I can understand what worked.

Johnson explained that the biggest difficulty with this project was balancing a complex discussion about faith within a large, entertaining murder mystery. He felt this was a deeply personal topic and wanted to portray it accurately. Many characters in ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ rely on religion, but often in unhealthy or negative ways.

The story of ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ centers on Father Jud (Josh O’Connor), a young priest eager to spread a message of love and forgiveness – a message he credits with changing his own life. He’s tasked with assisting Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), a leader who controls his followers through fear and harsh judgment to maintain his power.

Okay, so things get really interesting when Wicks turns up dead in a way that just doesn’t make sense, and everyone immediately looks at Jud. That’s when Benoit Blanc, this incredibly sharp detective who doesn’t believe in God, shows up to investigate. He starts digging into why so many of Wicks’ followers might have wanted him gone. But what’s really fascinating is the way Blanc and Jud keep talking about what the church means to people. Honestly, I was surprised to see how genuinely touched Blanc seemed to be by Jud’s way of connecting with others. It’s a really compelling dynamic.

Johnson explains that he wanted the movie to tackle the subject honestly and directly, without avoiding potentially sensitive areas. However, he also aimed for a kind and understanding tone, wanting to avoid being preachy or judgmental. The film presents characters with differing viewpoints to encourage discussion, but without the movie itself taking a strong stance or delivering a specific message.

I was really fascinated to hear that getting this story right was a huge challenge for Johnson – he described it as tons of writing, rewriting, and then rewriting those rewrites! But it was all worth it, clearly. The amazing response to Wake Up Dead Man shows he absolutely nailed it. As a reader, I’m thrilled with another clever mystery, and I especially loved how it dug into corruption and the powerful themes of forgiveness and letting go of anger. It’s a truly satisfying read.

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2025-12-01 19:09