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They say “dead men tell no tales”, but that’s only when Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) isn’t on the case. We saw him solve the murder of a mystery novelist inKnives Out, then saw him shatter a tech industry conspiracy inGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and now he’ll be taking on a brand-new case withWake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Once again directed and written byRian Johnsonand keeping with the franchise’s naming convention of being named after famous songs, this new tale may very well be the world-famous detective’s deadliest case yet.
Keeping with the “mystery” aspect of the critically acclaimed murder-mystery franchise, the plot details of Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig’s next collaboration are just that - a mystery. Still, that hasn’t stopped fans from eagerly anticipating the nextKnives Outfilm, especially when it’s been amassing a truly stellar ensemble cast. To find out everything there is to know about Benoit Blanc’s next case, as well as its cast, trailer, release date, and more,here is everything we know so far aboutWake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
In “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” detective Benoit Blanc returns to solve the murder of a famous musician whose death shocks the entertainment world. As Blanc interrogates a diverse array of suspects, each with their own secrets and potential motives, he navigates through layers of deceit and betrayal. The investigation leads Blanc to confront unexpected challenges and unravel a complex puzzle that ties together the victim’s past and present.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mysterydoes not currently have a set release date, but the recent teaser confirms the filmwill reportedly be released sometime in the year 2025.
Following the unprecedented success of the firstKnives Outfilm,Netflix acquired the rightsto create sequels for the franchise for a whopping $450 million. Thus,Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mysterywill almost certainly be coming to the streaming giant. While theWake Up Dead Manbeing a Netflix production may understandably cast doubt on a theater release, the previous film,Glass Onion, did hold a limited theatrical run. It is possible Netflix may take a similar route for theKnives Outfranchise’s third installment, especially if the streamer wants the film to be eligible for Academy Awards consideration.
The casting process has only just started to wind down at the time of this writing, so it will be quite a while before we get a good proper look atWake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. The closest thing we have to any promotional material for the new filmis the above title reveal. The teaser gives a very brief recap of the Benoit Blanc saga so far, as well as some accompanying narration from Daniel Craig:
“In the beginning, the knives came out. Then behold, the glass was shattered. But my most dangerous case yet is about to be revealed.”
Of course,Wake Up Dead Manwouldn’t beA Knives Out Mysterywithout Benoit Blanc. The man behind the southern detective may be an iconic character for Daniel Craig, but the beloved actor is certainly most well-known for playing British super spy James Bond throughout five feature films. Daniel Craig is also attached to star in directorLuca Guadagnino’s next film,Queer.
TheKnives Outfilms are well-known fortheir ensemble casts of big stars, with every one of them being a possible suspect in the latest mystery. In addition, the films are also no stranger to cameo appearances, as we saw withHugh GrantinGlass Onion. The all-star cast ofWake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mysterythus far includes:
The official (and brief) plot synopsis ofWake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mysteryreads as follows:
Benoit Blanc returns in his most dangerous case yet.
While hisStar Warstrilogy appears to be all-but-confirmed canceled, filmmaker Rian Johnson has found tremendous success with the first twoKnives Outfilms. He remains to this day one of the current industry’s most intriguing directors, having previously made polarizing yet beloved features likeBrick,Looper, andStar Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi. Johnson also proved beyond a reasonable doubt that his approach to murder mystery stories is also viable in TV formats, withNatasha Lyonne’s critically acclaimed murder of the week series,Poker Face.
Are the Other ‘Knives Out’ Movies Streaming Online?
‘Knives Out’ (2019)
Benoit Blanc’s first case unfolded when he was already a world-famous detective in the originalKnives Out. Blanc is summoned to the Thrombey estate when acclaimed murder-mystery novelist, Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), seemingly had his throat slit in his sleep. The vast majority of suspects are all Thrombey’s family members, all of whom have a motivation for targeting the family patriarch’s fortune. However, the suspect Blanc is most interested in is Thrombey’s former nurse, Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas).
Knives Out
‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ (2022)
Benoit Blanc’s next mystery takes him on an extravagant getaway to a billionaire’s private estate inGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Technology guru Miles Bron (Edward Norton) has invited his friends to a murder mystery party on his private island, all in an attempt to prove himself as a true genius. The only problem is Blanc was not on the guest list, yet he received an invitation anyway. Before long, it’s clear that Bron’s playful game isn’t going to be the only murder mystery on the island.
