Don't worry murder-mystery movie fans: Knives Out is returning for a third film. Directed by Rian Johnson and inspired by classic mystery novels à la Agatha Christie, the Knives Out franchise has become a must-watch for both fans of classic films and casual viewers who've fallen in love with Daniel Craig's performance as the suave Southern detective Benoit Blanc. Arguably, the best thing about the series of films is their variety; after the original movie about the death of a wealthy patriarch became a 2019 box office hit (and cemented itself as a perfect fall movie), Netflix produced the 2022 follow-up Glass Onion, which put Blanc at odds with eccentric billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton). Whether it's the near-absurd settings, A-list ensemble cast, or mind-blowing plot twists, you can bet whodunnit fans would tune into these movies as long as they keep making them.
Luckily, Johnson and Netflix confirmed in 2021 that Knives Out would get not one but two sequels on the platform, and the stage is just about set for Blanc's next case. Below, we're keeping track of everything we know about the third Knives Out film so far.
The next Benoit Blanc mystery, the follow-up to Knives Out and Glass Onion, is called Wake Up Dead Man. pic.twitter.com/pdDXRDmwcIMay 24, 2024
When will 'Knives Out' 3 be released?
On May 24, 2024, Johnson and Netflix announced that the third Knives Out film, Wake Up Dead Man, will arrive on the streaming giant in 2025. The director gave the news via a motion-art teaser shared on X (formerly Twitter) where the new title is paired with an ominous black casket. In a separate post, Johnson confirmed that the film is set to start production soon.
"I love everything about whodunnits, but one of the things I love most is how malleable the genre is," he wrote in a thread. "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."
A little less than a month later on June 10, 2024, Netflix announced that Wake Up Dead Man had officially begun filming outside London. Johnson paired the news with a first-look image of Benoit Blanc; in the black-and-white pic, the detective has noticeably longer, perhaps even blonder hair while standing on a soundstage.
"Aaaaand we’re off! Today is day 1 of shooting on the next Benoit Blanc mystery 'Wake Up Dead Man' - see you on the other side," Johnson wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) about the news.
Who has been cast in 'Knives Out' 3?
After weeks of near-constant cast announcements, we finally have our full roster for the third Knives Out ensemble! In addition to franchise star Daniel Craig, Wake Up Dead Man will also include Josh O’Connor (fresh off the release of Challengers), Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church.
Though he isn't part of the official cast list, we're hopeful that Hugh Grant can make a surprise return to the franchise in another cameo as Blanc's live-in partner Philip, who was introduced in Glass Onion. (Please give us more Phenoit!)
The new list of cast members will follow in the footsteps of the casts from both the original 2019 film (Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Jaime Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Lakeith Stanfield, and Katherine Langford) and Glass Onion (Janelle Monáe, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Dave Bautista, Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, and Edward Norton).
What is the plot of 'Knives Out 3?'
Like with Glass Onion, Johnson and Netflix are tight-lipped about any possible plot for Wake Up Dead Man. All fans currently have to speculate over is the title and a single teaser from the teaser Netflix shared in their official Tudum announcement. In the brief clip, Craig says in his iconic Southern drawl, "In the beginning, the knives came out. Then, behold, the glass was shattered. But my most dangerous case yet is about to be revealed."
So allow your imagination to run wild over the next year before the film's 2025. We'll be scoping out any possible hints until then.
