From the very beginning, Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery promised to be Benoit Blanc’s “most dangerous case yet.” I think with the new teaser, revealed this weekend at Netflix’s Tudum event, that tone has been established.
Daniel Craig is back for the third time as detective Benoit Blanc, following 2019’s Knives Out and 2022’s Glass Onion. Both were critically successful, while the latter was part of Netflix’s two-picture deal that it inked with Johnson for $450M. These must be the most expensive murder mystery films ever. Worth every penny, if you ask me.
The teaser doesn’t reveal much about the plot. They’re going to hang on to that secret for as long as possible, it seems. But we do see Blanc, sporting longer, shaggier hair, hanging out at cemeteries and churches. The darker tone is evident.
“We’ve been very lucky with each of these movies to have gathered some of my favorite actors on the planet, and that’s absolutely the case here,” Johnson told Netflix. “They’re also all lovely folks who get along, which is the dinner party aspect of it. When you’re making an ensemble movie like this, I think that’s key.”
Josh O’Connor, Cailee Spaeny, Andrew Scott, Kerry Washington, Jeremy Renner, Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, Daryl McCormack, and Josh Brolin are part of the list of potential suspects this time around.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery hits Netflix on December 12th. I can’t wait.
