Rian Johnson’s new Knives Out mystery, Wake Up Dead Man, might have secrets hidden within its already complex plot. This is the third film in the popular Netflix series, once again starring Daniel Craig as the detective Benoit Blanc. While the movie is full of subtle clues for viewers to find as the mystery unfolds, Rian Johnson may have included a particularly clever detail that most people haven’t noticed.
A keen-eyed fan named Jay Hulme noticed something interesting about the film Wake Up Dead Man: it appears to have subtly “Rickrolled” the audience. “Rickrolling” is a prank where people are tricked into watching Rick Astley’s 1987 music video, “Never Gonna Give You Up,” instead of what they expected. Though Astley and the song aren’t in the film, the movie was filmed at the same location as the music video.
Just watched the new Knives Out and I think it’s really important you know that the scene in the Seminary’s Gym is filmed in the same place Rick Astley filmed the music video for Never Gonna Give You Up. I saw the window tracery and immediately made my friends pause the film so I could tell them.
— Jay Hulme (@jayhulmepoet.bsky.social) 2025-12-29T13:11:50.718Z
The connection between the two works comes down to a shared filming location used in Rick Astley’s music video and Johnson’s film, Wake Up Dead Man, which is a funny coincidence. Interestingly, the scene in Wake Up Dead Man is meant to be a serious and emotional moment, making the realization of the connection even more unexpected. Regardless, Johnson’s mystery film effectively uses humor, and this accidental nod to Rickrolling actually fits well within the story.
What’s Next for ‘Knives Out’ After ‘Wake Up Dead Man’?
Netflix
With Wake Up Dead Man, the series keeps its tradition of featuring a large group of characters who become potential suspects. This allows Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, to tie all the different mysteries together. It sets up plenty of opportunities for future cases involving the quirky detective. The films also hint at other famous investigations from Blanc’s history—Wake Up Dead Man specifically references a case connected to the Kentucky Derby—giving the creator the option to expand on the overall story and build on the franchise’s appeal.
While fans are eager for another Knives Out mystery, there aren’t any concrete plans for a third film yet. Rian Johnson’s deal with Netflix only covered two sequels – Glass Onion and Wake Up Dead Man. Johnson has shared some initial, undeveloped ideas for where to take the character of Blanc next, but he hasn’t started writing the script.
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Although viewers and critics enjoyed Wake Up Dead Man, there are no confirmed plans for future installments. While Netflix might be interested in another deal to stream more films, the recent Knives Out movies had limited releases in theaters, so Daniel Craig (Benoit Blanc) might prefer to bring the series back to the big screen. The future of the franchise and Benoit Blanc’s adventures are still uncertain.
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2025-12-30 01:22