Daniel Craig and director Rian Johnson talk ‘Knives Out 3’
Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig reveal how faith and suspense shape “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.”
Daniel Craig’s supersleuth with the Southern drawl Benoit Blanc is back on a new case which might just be his “most dangerous” one yet in the third film of the “Knives Out” franchise, “Wake Up Dead Man”.
Described as the “darkest chapter” of writer-director Rian Johnson’s murder mystery opus, “Wake Up Dead Man” takes Blanc to upstate New York where a good-hearted young priest Father Jud (Josh O’Connor) has been sent to assist the local priest Monsignor Wicks (Josh Brolin), a charismatic firebrand.
After a “sudden and seemingly impossible murder rocks the town, the lack of an obvious suspect prompts local police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) to join forces with (the) renowned detective to unravel a mystery that defies all logic,” the film’s synopsis says.
Johnson teased the film is “incredibly different from Glass Onion.”
“It’s got a much more Gothic and grounded tone,” the Oscar–nominated filmmaker said. “It’s still a Benoit Blanc mystery, so it’s funny and fun, but it’s set in an old stone church. There are lots of graveyards, and it’s got that earthy Gothic feel, which was really fun to play with.”
However, he added “this was the hardest script I have ever had to write.”
Here’s what to know about the film and the others in the franchise.
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When does ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’ release?
“Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” will be available to stream on Netflix at 3:00 a.m. ET / 12:00 a.m. PT on Friday, Dec. 12.
“Wake Up Dead Man” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 6 and released in select theaters Nov. 26.
How to watch ‘Knives Out 3’
The third film in the “Knives Out” franchise will be available to stream exclusively on Netflix starting Friday, Dec. 12.
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‘Wake Up Dead Man’ cast
With the exception of Craig’s Blanc, each film in the “Knives Out” franchise has a different cast. Here’s who is in the cast of “Wake Up Dead Man:”
- Josh O’Connor as Jud Duplenticy
- Glenn Close as Martha Delacroix
- Josh Brolin as Monsignor Jefferson Wicks
- Mila Kunis as Geraldine Scott
- Jeremy Renner as Nat Sharp
- Kerry Washington as Vera Draven
- Andrew Scott as Lee Ross
- Cailee Spaeny as Simone Vivane
- Daryl McCormack as Cy Draven
- Thomas Haden Church as Samson Holt
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Watch ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’ trailer
‘Knives Out’
“Knives Out,” which released in 2019, is not available to stream on Netflix but is in fact available on Prime Video.
Watch ‘Knives Out’ on Amazon Prime
In the first film of the franchise, Blanc is enlisted to solve the unexpected death of Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), an acclaimed, wealthy mystery novelist, who’s found dead, throat sliced and blood everywhere, in his New England mansion during an 85th birthday celebration. After the death, his dysfunctional family hangs around for the funeral but also for the all-important will reading.
The cast of the “Knives Out” includes:
- Daniel Craig
- Chris Evans as Ransom Drysdale
- Christopher Plummer as Harlan Thrombey
- Ana de Armas as Marta Cabrera
- Jamie Lee Curtis as Linda Drysdale
- Michael Shannon as Walt Thrombey
- Riki Lindhome as Donna Thrombey
- Don Johnson as Richard Drysdale
- Toni Collette as Joni Thrombey
- LaKeith Stanfield as Detective Lieutenant Elliott
- Katherine Langford as Meg Thrombey
‘Knives Out: Glass Onion’
While the first “Knives Out” may not be on Netflix, “Knives Out 2,” or “Glass Onion,” which released in 2022, is available to stream on Netflix. The streaming platform, in April 2021, signed a $469 million deal with Johnson and his producing partners acquiring the rights for two sequels, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In “Glass Onion,” tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) gathers old friends – and Blanc – at his private Greek island for a murder mystery getaway during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, things get all too real when someone actually ends up dead.
While Craig reprised his roles as Blanc in “Knives Out 2,” the rest of the cast was completely fresh and included:
- Edward Norton as Miles Bron
- Janelle Monáe as Andi Brand / Helen Brand
- Dave Bautista as Duke Cody
- Kate Hudson as Birdie Jay
- Kathryn Hahn as Claire Debella
- Leslie Odom Jr. as Lionel
- Jessica Henwick as Peg
- Madelyn Cline as Whiskey
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
