Rian Johnson Reveals Nothing Is Off the Table for the Future of Knives Out, And There’s One Actor He Really Wants

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Rian Johnson’s Knives Out, released in 2019, brought a fresh take to the classic mystery genre, something audiences hadn’t seen in theaters for a long time. The films, starring Daniel Craig as the unique and funny detective Benoit Blanc, have become incredibly popular. The first movie earned over $300 million worldwide and received an Oscar nomination, leading Netflix to invest heavily in two sequels: Glass Onion (2022) and this year’s Wake Up Dead Man.

The new movie, Wake Up Dead Man, is currently in theaters and will be available on Netflix December 12th. It’s a departure from previous films in the series, featuring a brand new mystery and cast. This installment is darker and more visually gothic, and the character of Blanc shares the spotlight with others. Director Rian Johnson told ComicBook that this shows the Knives Out series is continuing to innovate, and the future of the franchise has many possibilities.

The Knives Out Series Will Continue to Try New Things in Future Sequels

Rian Johnson, the writer and director of all three Knives Out films, told us that while many of the actors are eager to reprise their roles, he isn’t currently planning to make another movie with the same cast.

Johnson explained that he enjoys how each installment of the series presents a completely unique story and set of characters. He also expressed his enthusiasm for collaborating with different actors in each new story, hoping to work with many throughout the series—essentially, ‘every actor in Hollywood.’ He believes this approach keeps things fresh and exciting for the audience.

We asked if there was a particular character fans could hope to see appear on the show – Johnson’s ‘white whale,’ so to speak – and he said there is, but he’s a bit hesitant to talk about it, as he’s superstitious.

Johnson hinted that there’s an actor he’d like to work with, but he’s hesitant to talk about it too much. He’s worried that saying it out loud might actually prevent it from happening.

I was really curious about where the series is headed, so I asked Rian Johnson if he’d ever put Benoit Blanc – Daniel Craig’s character – in genuine, constant danger. He didn’t say it wouldn’t happen, but he hinted that it might not quite fit the vibe of a ‘Knives Out’ movie, for some interesting, behind-the-scenes reasons.

That’s a good question. Agatha Christie touched on similar ideas with Poirot, but it’s tricky. Audiences don’t really worry about Benoit Blanc getting hurt, because I enjoy making these films too much to ever kill him off. Still, anything could happen with this series, and that’s what makes it exciting for me – the freedom to explore different possibilities and push the limits of what these movies can be.

The new mystery film, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, is currently in movie theaters and will be available to stream on Netflix starting December 12th.

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2025-11-25 19:18