‘Knives Out 3’ Is Happening: Here’s Everything We Know

In 2019, director Rian Johnson introduced the Knives Out franchise to the world. The razor-sharp whodunit starred Daniel Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc, followed by a star-studded ensemble cast that included Michael Shannon (Nine Perfect Strangers), Jamie Lee Curtis, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Toni Collette, and Christopher Plummer. The murder mystery was an instant box office hit, grossing $312.9 million worldwide, and even received three Academy Award nominations, including Best Original Screenplay.  

Following the first installment’s critical success, Johnson handed over the rights to Netflix in a reported $450 million deal. The highly anticipated sequel Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, which premiered in 2022, saw Craig reprise his role as the famous P.I. accompanied by Kate Hudson, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Katheryn Kahn, Madelyn Cline, and Dave Bautista. This time around, the starry group was gathering clues on a private island and not at the palatial Thrombey Estate. In Glass Onion’s first week of streaming, the flick joined Netflix’s most-watched movies of all time and became one of the platform’s biggest film debuts, Variety reported.  

Since then, fans have been eagerly awaiting a threequel—and the return of Craig as everyone’s favorite Southern sleuth. Up until May, the fate of the franchise was up in the air, but Johnson has since given the people an update. Find out everything you need to know about Knives Out 3, below.  

Will There Be a Knives Out 3? 

Yes, Johnson announced in a video posted to X that a third Knives Out, called Wake Up Dead Man, is in the works. Johnson will return as the writer and director and reunite with his producing partner Ram Bergman. The two previously worked together on the original and the sequel, Glass Onion. In the clip, Craig’s character teased that it’s his “most dangerous case yet.” 

“I love everything about whodunnits, but one of the things I love most is how malleable the genre is,” Johnson wrote on X. “There’s a whole tonal spectrum from Carr to Christie, and getting to explore that range is one of the most exciting things about making Benoit Blanc movies. We’re about to go into production on the 3rd one, and I’m very, very excited to share the title, which gives a little hint of where it’s going.” 

Johnson later shared on June 10 that shooting for the mystery had officially begun along with a black-and-white photo of Craig in character. The movie’s title is inspired by the 1997 U2 song of the same name. “Pop is a very underrated album, and that song is very right for the title,” Johnson told Netflix’s Tudum site. “But I’ve had ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ in my head for a long while, and I first heard the phrase in American folk music.” Johnson previously drew inspiration for the first Knives Out from a famous Radiohead track, while Glass Onion shares the same name as the 1968 Beatles anthem.

When Will Knives Out 3 Be Released?

Johnson has confirmed that the next installment in the Knives Out series is slated for a 2025 release on Netflix. That’s obviously a big window, but we’ll try to put the clues together as to when the movie could arrive. If you recall, the first film premiered on November 27, 2019. The sequel then debuted on November 23, 2022, but was pulled out of theaters after one week and moved to Netflix on December 23, 2022. So we wouldn’t be surprised if Knives Out 3 hit the streamer around Thanksgiving or Christmas 2025. 

The Cast: Who Could Return? 

Johnson has confirmed that Craig will reprise his role as Benoit Blanc. So far, Craig’s character is the only one to return from the original and the 2022 sequel. Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Andrew Scott, Mila Kunis, and Kerry Washington also joined the star-studded cast. In addition, Josh O’Conner (Challengers, The Crown), Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church are set to appear in the forthcoming film.  

“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 said, speaking to Tudum. “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.” 

Those who have seen Glass Onion might remember there were quite a few Renner jokes woven throughout the film, including that the actor has his own line of hot sauce called Renning Hot. “Jeremy’s a great actor who I’ve wanted to work with for a long time,” Johnson continued. “I was very relieved he thought the hot sauce thing was funny! He’s playing a proper part in this one, we’ll keep the sauce off-screen. Maybe we’ll sneak a few bottles onto the catering table.” 

How to Watch Knives Out 3  

Considering Netflix bought the rights to Knives Out, that’s where you’ll be able to watch Wake Up Dead Man once it’s released. In the meantime, anyone with a subscription to the platform can stream Glass Onion. The first Knives Out is currently available to rent on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, or Apple TV.