Summary:
- Rian Johnson announces the third Knives Out film title, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, hinting at the next mystery.
- Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc, with the film set to release on Netflix in 2025.
- The title draws from a U2 song, suggesting a possible messianic figure in Blanc’s latest and most dangerous case yet.
Rian Johnson has just dropped a major hint about the third installment of the Knives Out series, revealing its intriguing new title.
Set to premiere on Netflix in 2025, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery promises to bring Daniel Craig’s detective Benoit Blanc back for his most dangerous case yet.
Rian Johnson Teases the Next Chapter
Knives Out mastermind Rian Johnson has revealed a tantalizing clue about the third installment of the Daniel Craig-led whodunnits.
The new film, following 2019’s Knives Out and 2022’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, will be titled Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. This title hints at the direction of the next mystery, promising an intriguing plot ahead.
Daniel Craig returns as the enigmatic detective Benoit Blanc, with Johnson again taking on writing and directing duties. Netflix also released a teaser video showcasing the new title treatment and confirmed the film’s release in 2025.
“In the beginning, the knives came out,” Craig’s Benoit says in the teaser. “Then behold, the glass was shattered. But my most dangerous case yet is about to be revealed.”
Exploring the Whodunnit Genre
The next ‘KNIVES OUT’ movie is titled ‘WAKE UP DEAD MAN’.
In theatres next year.pic.twitter.com/7PSGWYIsdT
— CoveredGeekly (@CoveredGeekly) May 24, 2024
“I love everything about whodunnits, but one of the things I love most is how malleable the genre is,” Johnson shared in a statement posted to Twitter/X.
“There’s a whole tonal spectrum from Carr to Christie, and getting to explore that range is one of the most exciting things about making Benoit Blanc movies.”
He added, “We’re about to go into production on the 3rd one, and I’m very, very excited to share the title, which gives a little hint of where it’s going.”
The titles of the Knives Out series often draw from rock songs. The first film borrowed its title from a Radiohead song, an allegory for violence and competition, fitting the film’s plot.
The second film, Glass Onion, took its name from a Beatles song, with a plot focusing on a charlatan tech genius living in a glass onion.
The Significance of “Wake Up Dead Man”
The third film’s title, Wake Up Dead Man, comes from a U2 song from their 1997 album Pop. The song features Bono‘s plea for Jesus to return and save humanity, hinting at a messianic figure. This could imply that Benoit Blanc will face a similar character in this installment.
The first Knives Out saw Benoit Blanc solving the mystery of crime novelist Harlan Thrombey’s death, with a star-studded cast including Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Following its success, Netflix secured a $400 million deal for sequels. Glass Onion brought Blanc to a tech billionaire’s private island, featuring a new ensemble cast led by Edward Norton.
As we await the third film, fans are eager to see which actors will join the cast. There’s hope that Hugh Grant will return as Benoit’s husband, Phillip, adding another layer of intrigue to the much-anticipated sequel.
