Benoit Blanc and his Kentucky Fried Foghorn Leghorn drawl is coming back for his “most dangerous case yet.” That’s how Daniel Craig’s brilliant detective described his next outing in the announcement trailer for Rian Johnson’s third Knives Out installment, Wake Up Dead Man. Who will join Craig for some murder-mystery fun this time around? What is the movie about? And when (and where) can we expect to see it? 
We will get more answers to plot questions and such soon. But, for now, Rian Johnson is teasing more about Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’s overall tone and vibe, noting that it is more Gothic than its predecessor. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Johnson said, “It’s much more a Gothic, much more grounded tone. It’s more similar to the first one in that way. It kind of gets back to the real origins of the genre, which, predating [Agatha] Christie, go back to [Edgar Allan] Poe.”
He talked further about moving away from Glass Onion‘s more humorous and campy tone, saying that he wants to keep things fresh for fans. And, while Johnson admits that he doesn’t have current ideas brewing for more Knives Out sequels, he does want to make sure that this one really hits in a different manner.
“If I feel like I’m repeating the same thing, or turning the crank on the handle and turning out more of what I did last time, I’m not good enough to hide that from the audience. So what I end up chasing is the experience of each of these things. It’s not necessarily where I’m going to flip and do a totally different tone, but after three years of working on something that has a particular tone, it’s like you’ve been eating the same thing for lunch every day for three years. I’m more excited about doing something that feels new. That’s similar with the show. It’s not so much a conscious decision. In order to keep it exciting for myself, I don’t want to repeat myself.”
Here’s everything we know about Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.
Title
Knives Out 3 is officially titled Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. That latter half of that title also appeared in Glass Onion‘s title, much to the chagrin of Rian Johnson.
Netflix reveals, “As it turns out, Wake Up Dead Man shares its title with a 1997 U2 song off their album Pop.” And Johnson adds, “Pop is a very underrated album, and that song is very right for the title. But I’ve had ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ in my head for a long while, and I first heard the phrase in American folk music.” Netflix teases that you should “listen closely” for any clues about the Knives Out movie to come.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery‘s Plot
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery does not have an official synopsis, but we do have some early clues about what to expect from it. Johnson’s announcement of the film included commentary about how much he loves the malleability of whodunits. Combined with calling it Benoit Blanc’s “most dangerous case yet,” and everything points towards the darkest entry in the franchise yet.
The title and its accompanying font also suggest the film will have something to do with pirates. (Though we can’t rule out the film is about U2. Hopefully The Edge is safe either way.)
Does that mean a good old-fashioned treasure hunt gone wrong? A setting somewhere in the Caribbean? Arr, until we be getting something more official, wese can let our imaginations run wild like the sea. (Sorry.)
A mysterious Instagram clip teases an eerie church, but doesn’t tell us much else, except, “”The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers, but the root of the righteous endures.” Sounds like religion will play a Knives Out‘s newest murderous scheme.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery‘s Cast
Johnson confirmed a report that Mare of Easttown and Alien: Romulus‘ Cailee Spaeny is joining the returning Daniel Craig in the cast. The Crown‘s Emmy winner and Challengers star Josh O’Connor will also join the cast of Knives Out 3. Additionally, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, and Jeremy Renner have come aboard.
The full cast is below:
- Daniel Craig (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Casino Royale)
- Josh O’Connor (Challengers, The Crown)
- Glenn Close (Dangerous Liaisons, Fatal Attraction)
- Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men, Dune)
- Mila Kunis (Black Swan, Luckiest Girl Alive)
- Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker, The Town)
- Kerry Washington (Scandal, Django Unchained)
- Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers, Ripley)
- Cailee Spaeny (Civil War, Priscilla)
- Daryl McCormack (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande; Peaky Blinders)
- Thomas Haden Church (Sideways, Spider-Man 3)
Behind the Scenes
For the third time, Rian Johnson is directing his own script in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. He’s also producing the film with his T-Street Pictures partner Ram Bergman.
The film officially wrapped August 17, 2024.
On August 17, 2024, Johnson shared an image of a graveyard with a sign that says “Please be mindful of the graves” to say filming had wrapped.
Johnson calls the shoot a “VERY special experience” and that he can’t wait to “put this thing together and show you all what we’ve got.” Well we certainly can’t wait either! Let’s go, donut holes!
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery‘s Release Date
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will come to theaters on November 26 for a two week stint before it hits Netflix on December 12.
Originally published May 30, 2025.