Knives Out Director Unveils Daniel Craig's Next Chapter After Wake Up Dead Man
The director’s blunt update dashed hopes, signaling fresh setbacks and no quick turnaround.
Quick update for the Knives Out faithful: Rian Johnson is not racing into Knives Out 4. He is, however, about to drop Benoit Blanc back into the world with Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.
At the BFI London Film Festival, Johnson told The Hollywood Reporter he has no plan in motion for a fourth film. Translation: he wants a real idea before he even opens Final Draft, and he is not doing this without Daniel Craig in his corner.
"I got nothing. If you have anything, I will take it. I think it is good to totally empty the well and then start from scratch on the next one."
He also made it pretty clear what has to line up before another one happens: he and Craig still need to be having fun, audiences have to still be into it, and each movie has to feel new, not just a repeat of the last puzzle.
Where things stand right now
- Wake Up Dead Man is the next Benoit Blanc case, pitched as his darkest yet, with Daniel Craig returning.
- The ensemble this time: Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Josh O'Connor, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, and Andrew Scott.
- Release plan listed by the outlet: select cinemas from 26 November for a two-week run, then on Netflix 12 December. Note: the piece also says the movie is set to release later in 2025, which does not match those specific November/December dates. The dates above are the ones actually given for the rollout.
- Franchise snapshot: the original Knives Out hit in 2019. Netflix then bought two sequels. Glass Onion arrived in 2022. Wake Up Dead Man is the second of that Netflix deal.
- Knives Out 4 status: no plans yet. It hinges on Johnson finding a fresh angle, Craig wanting back in, audiences still showing up, and the duo keeping themselves challenged. By implication, a fourth would be outside the original two-sequel Netflix pact.
So, yes, Benoit Blanc is imminent. A fourth outing? That is a wait-and-see situation, and honestly, that patience is probably why these movies still feel sharp instead of assembly-line.