Rian Johnson Confirms ‘Knives Out’ Franchise Continuation Beyond Third Film

Rian Johnson envisions a long arc for the ‘Knives Out’ series, unbound by trilogy constraints, as he navigates the third installment’s premiere amid surging audience demand. Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc returns in ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’, a whodunit that assembles a new ensemble of suspects in a high-stakes probe. Johnson’s revelations in a recent podcast underscore his commitment to evolving the murder-mystery format without repetition.

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025, with a limited theatrical rollout on November 27, 2025, followed by its Netflix streaming debut on December 12, 2025. Johnson, who penned and directed all three entries, drew from a decade of genre ideas crystallized after ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ in 2017. ‘Knives Out’ grossed $312 million worldwide on a $40 million budget, spawning ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ in 2022, which amassed 209.4 million streaming hours in its first week.

In the ‘Awards Chatter’ podcast, Johnson detailed ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ as a tonal shift from predecessors, blending Southern Gothic elements with a rock ‘n’ roll undercurrent. The plot centers Blanc investigating a suspicious death within a reclusive musician’s inner circle, featuring Josh O’Connor as the enigmatic lead suspect, alongside Kerry Washington, Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, and Jeremy Renner. Production wrapped in June 2025 after 68 shooting days across New Orleans and Los Angeles, utilizing practical sets for 85 percent of interiors to heighten tension.

Johnson addressed the franchise’s trajectory with measured optimism. “As long as Daniel still wants to keep doing it and as long as we have an idea that feels genuinely exciting and scary—like, ‘Oh, wow, could we pull that off?’—I love the genre,” he stated. He and Craig, who first collaborated on ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ in 2011, prioritize narrative reinvention over formula, eyeing potential for five or more films if ideas sustain freshness. Netflix’s $469 million deal for the first two films underscores the stakes, with the third’s budget estimated at $75 million.

The director reflected on Blanc’s enduring appeal, a Southern-fried sleuth whose drawl and deductive flair echo Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot but with modern satirical bite. Craig’s portrayal earned a Golden Globe nomination for the 2019 original, where Blanc unraveled a publishing magnate’s poisoning amid a dysfunctional family. ‘Glass Onion’ pivoted to a tech billionaire’s island gala, skewering Silicon Valley excess and netting Craig another Globe nod.

Online fervor has spawned whimsical pitches, including a Benoit Blanc Muppet crossover. Johnson dismissed the concept, citing irreconcilable tones: “Muppets in a Blanc movie would mean they could get murdered, which feels wrong, and Blanc in a Muppet world breaks his reality.” He advocated for a standalone Muppet mystery instead, honoring Jim Henson’s legacy separate from his $20 million-per-film franchise.

Johnson’s seven-feature canon—spanning ‘Brick’ in 2005 to this latest—demonstrates his genre versatility, from time-travel thrillers like ‘Looper’ in 2012 to the polarizing ‘The Last Jedi’, which grossed $1.33 billion despite fan schisms. His ‘Breaking Bad’ episodes in 2011 honed ensemble dynamics, influencing Blanc’s interrogative style. Post-‘Glass Onion’, he executive-produced NBC’s ‘Poker Face’ in 2023, a case-of-the-week homage starring Natasha Lyonne.

The series’ success has reshaped streaming economics, with Netflix reporting a 12 percent subscriber uptick post-‘Glass Onion’. ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ incorporates 4K practical effects for its climax, shot over 14 days, and features original score by Nathan Johnson, Rian’s cousin, blending jazz motifs with dissonance. Casting drew from theater pedigrees: O’Connor from ‘The Crown’, Close from 21 Oscar nods.

As U.S. theaters report $8.2 million in opening weekend ticket sales, Johnson hinted at global location scouting for the fourth film, potentially London or Tokyo. Blanc’s evolution—from outsider detective to cultural icon—mirrors Johnson’s pivot from indie roots to blockbuster stewardship. With Craig committed through age 60, the detective’s ledger remains open, promising twists that probe power, privilege, and the absurdities of elite unraveling.