Rian Johnson’s third ‘Knives Out’ film, ‘Wake Up Dead Man,’ which reportedly cost $210M, has revealed its first teaser. Is this the most expensive whodunnit ever produced?
Now, sure, they shelled out $450M back in 2021 for two sequels—‘Glass Onion’ was the first, and this will be the second (and last, unless Netflix resigns Johnson), and Netflix will probably give this one the usual two-week theatrical bow before it hits streaming on December 12.
The new cast? Stacked. Daniel Craig returns as the Southern sleuth Benoit Blanc, joined by Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Josh O’Connor, Cailee Spaeny, Andrew Scott, and Kerry Washington.
We just got our first look at Craig’s Blanc — now with longer hair and still dressed like a flashy Mississippi lawyer. Brooding. Stylish. This franchise seems dead-set on reinventing itself with each entry, and honestly, it’s kind of working.
Plot details? Not much. Netflix is keeping it all under wraps for now. Don’t expect to hear much until closer to release. But if history repeats, expect a TIFF 2025 world premiere. The first two films debuted there, and TIFF loves these.
Quick refresher: the original Knives Out (2019) was made for around $40M and became a word-of-mouth theatrical hit. Then came Netflix, backed up the money truck, and got the rights for two sequels. ‘Glass Onion’ hit in 2022, dropped on Netflix after a limited theatrical run, and landed on nearly 200 critics’ Top 10 lists.
So now here we are. $210M. One last mystery. Netflix is hoping for a cultural moment. Is it even sustainable?
Edward Berger seems to have settled on what comes next. His Lance Armstrong biopic, starring Austin Butler, is now holding casting calls, with production eyed for January.