Knives Out 3
X | @rianjohnson

EVER SINCE DANIEL CRAIG first brought Benoit Blanc – the now iconic gentlemanly detective with a fondness for suspenders and a not-so-subtle Southern drawl – to life in Knives Out, the prospect of a whodunnit franchise spanning multiple spin-offs and sequels has loomed large. Netflix struck a deal with director Rian Johnson for two sequels after the release of the first film in 2019, with Glass Onion becoming the first addition to the Knives Out world in 2022. Now, the next sequel is confirmed to be in the works.

Johnson has given fans a glimpse into the third film in his murder-mystery series – which, at this rate, seems like it will be more of a franchise than a trilogy. We know that Daniel Craig will reprise his role as leading man Benoit Blanc. Plus, with Johnson at the helm, we can expect another bout of mystery, intrigue, red herrings, false assumptions and ultimately, an ending few see coming – for the record, we guessed whodunnit in Knives Out fairly easily, but Glass Onion proved more difficult.

As anticipation builds, we’ve rounded up everything we know about Knives Out 3 so far. Scroll on for the latest on the film’s cast, release date and plot.

What is Knives Out 3 called?

Keeping with the theme established with Glass Onion, Knives Out 3 will not actually be called ‘Knives Out 3’. Instead, Rian Johnson revealed last month that the film will be called Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Make of that title what you will.

Who is in the Knives Out 3 cast?

It wouldn’t be a Knives Out film without Daniel Craig playing Benoit Blanc. Thankfully, Craig will return, and with a plethora of A-listers joining him, Knives Out 3 is set to have a sprawling ensemble cast. Two of the most rapidly rising stars in Hollywood are already confirmed to be joining Craig. Josh O’Connor – who owns at least partial responsibility for sparking the rodent men craze after his role in Challengers – will figure into the mix. And fresh off the success of Priscilla, Cailee Spaeny is among the main cast members too. Jeremy Renner will also return to the big screen for his first role since a snowcat accident left him in critical condition in early 2023.

Andrew Scott, Mila Kunis, Josh Brolin, Kerry Washington, Glenn Close, Daryl McCormack and Thomas Haden Church have also been announced as cast members, although what role anyone but Craig will play is unknown at this stage.

When will Knives Out 3 come out?

We don’t have a specific release date yet, but we do know that Knives Out 3 will make its way to Netflix at some point in 2025. This is purely speculation, but seeing as Knives Out premiered in November of 2019, Glass Onion premiered in December of 2022, and that Rian Johnson confirmed that Knives Out 3’s first day of filming was on June 10th 2024, all signs are pointing towards a late-2025 release.

Is there a trailer for Knives Out 3?

Not yet. As we said, Knives Out 3 only just finished its first day of filming on June 10th. Having a trailer already prepared would be a Herculean feat, so it may be a while until we get a more in-depth look at the film.

Courtesy of a post from director Rian Johnson on X (formerly Twitter) we do have our first look at Daniel Craig’s revamped Benoit Blanc – complete with a new hairstyle. This time around, Blanc has some longer locks that remind us of Woody Harrelson in The Hunger Games.

What will Knives Out 3 be about?

Plot details on Knives Out 3 are thin at best at the moment, so we don’t know precisely what case Benoit Blanc will be cracking – but we have to assume he will be cracking one, right? That being said, there are some clues to decipher from the limited information we have right now.

Early details indicate that Knives Out 3 could have a supernatural element to it. The title, Wake Up Dead Man, clearly lends itself to a tale of the macabre. What’s more, Rian Johnson finished the caption of his X post announcing that filming had begun with the words “see you on the other side.” As you can see, references to death abound.

For one final morsel of intrigue, the video Rian Johnson shared announcing the title of Knives Out 3 features a voice over from Benoit Blanc, who states that “In the beginning, the knives came out. Then behold, the glass was shattered. But my most dangerous case yet is about to be revealed.”

We’ll need to wait for a trailer before we can determine whether this is simply a marketing move to drum up hype or a genuine description of the forthcoming mystery.

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