Knives Out | |
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Directed by | Rian Johnson |
Written by | Rian Johnson |
Produced by |
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Starring |
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Cinematography | Steve Yedlin |
Edited by | Bob Ducsay |
Music by | Nathan Johnson |
Production companies | |
Distributed by |
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Release date | 2019-present |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $120,000,000 (3 films) [1] |
Box office | $327,952,178 (2 films) [2] [3] |
Knives Out is a series of American murder mystery films written, directed, and co-produced by Rian Johnson. The films star Daniel Craig as private detective/investigator Benoit Blanc, involved with investigating mysteries. Other prominent cast members who appear in supporting roles for the films within the series include Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, LaKeith Stanfield, Christopher Plummer, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, Edward Norton, Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson and Dave Bautista among others.
The film series commenced in 2019, where the first installment was met with critical acclaim, particularly for its screenplay, direction, and acting, from both audience and film critics and grossed $311.4 million worldwide against a $40 million budget. After the first film's success, Netflix bought the exclusive rights to two Knives Out sequels for over $400 million. The second film was similarly released to positive reception critically, [4] though its limited theatrical release in foreign markets lead to a lower monetary performance. [3]
A third film began production in June 2024, [5] and is scheduled for release in 2025. [6]
Film | U.S. release date | Director | Screenwriter | Producers |
---|---|---|---|---|
Knives Out | November 27, 2019 | Rian Johnson | Ram Bergman & Rian Johnson | |
Glass Onion | November 23, 2022 | |||
Wake Up Dead Man | 2025 | Ram Bergman, Rian Johnson & Katie McNeill |
In developing the film, Johnson cited several classic mystery thrillers and mystery comedies as influences, including The Last of Sheila , Murder on the Orient Express , Something's Afoot , Murder by Death , Death on the Nile , The Private Eyes , The Mirror Crack'd , Evil Under the Sun , Deathtrap , Clue , and Gosford Park . [7] The 1972 version of Sleuth, a favorite "whodunit adjacent" of Johnson's, was also an inspiration, particularly for the setting and set design, including the automaton, Jolly Jack the Sailor. [8] [9] [10] The title was taken from the 2001 Radiohead song "Knives Out"; Johnson, a Radiohead fan, said: "Obviously, the movie has nothing to do with the song ... That turn of phrase has always stuck in my head. And it just seemed like a great title for a murder mystery." [11] The name Harlan Thrombey is taken from a 1981 Choose Your Own Adventure whodunit, Who Killed Harlowe Thrombey? [12]
The film had its world premiere at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2019, and was theatrically released in the United States on November 27 by Lionsgate Films. The film received critical acclaim, particularly for its screenplay, direction, and acting. At the 77th Golden Globe Awards, it received three nominations in the Musical or Comedy category, while also receiving Best Original Screenplay nominations at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards and 92nd Academy Awards. It was selected by the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 2019.
Before the release of Knives Out, Johnson said he would like to create sequels with Benoit Blanc investigating further mysteries, and that he already had an idea for a sequel. [13] [14] In January 2020, Johnson confirmed that he was writing a sequel, intended to focus on Blanc investigating a new mystery. Craig was expected to reprise his role, and acknowledged interest in the project. [15] By February 2020, Lionsgate announced that a sequel had been officially green-lit for production. [16]
In March 2021, Netflix bought the rights to two Knives Out sequels for $450 million and that filming would begin in June 2021, in Greece. Despite Lionsgate's prior announcement that they had approved a sequel, reports indicate that Johnson and Bergman retained the sequel rights, which they shopped to other distributors without the involvement of Lionsgate or MRC. [17] [18] In April 2021, Curtis confirmed that the Thrombey family from the first film would not be returning for the sequel, while elaborating on what each family member has been up to since the end of the first installment. [19] The cast was rounded out in May and June 2021, with Dave Bautista, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Kate Hudson, Madelyn Cline and Jessica Henwick added in undisclosed roles. [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26]
Principal photography officially commenced on June 28, 2021 in Greece and concluded that September. [27] In June 2022, the official title was revealed to be Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. The film was released on December 23, 2022, with Netflix considering a 45-day theatrical exclusive debut prior to its streaming release. [28] [29]
In March 2021, it was reported that Netflix had agreed to pay $450 million for the rights to two sequels to be written and directed by Johnson, with Craig reprising his role as detective Benoit Blanc. [17] [18] In June 2022, Johnson revealed that "Knives Out 3" was a working title with his intent being that each film has a distinct title, citing the works of Agatha Christie as his inspiration for the films and the individual titles. [28]
By January 2023, Johnson confirmed that he had started writing the script for the third film, stating that it will be tonally and thematically different from the previous installments. [30] The filmmaker later stated that though he had approved the subtitle of A Knives Out Mystery for the previous installment, he would like to rename the series and add A Benoit Blanc Mystery as subtitles to future installments. [31]
In October 2023, following the adherence to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike and the resolution thereof, Johnson announced that he had started working on the script for the third film. The filmmaker stated that he has the premise planned, and could begin writing again. [32] In May 2024, the film's official title was announced as Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery with the release of an official teaser trailer narrated by Daniel Craig in character as Benoit Blanc. [6] Principal photography was initially scheduled to commence in fall 2024, in London; [33] [34] [35] though in June of the same year, Johnson announced that filming had commenced. [5] [36] The film is slated for release at an unspecified date in 2025. [6]
In September 2022, Craig and Johnson both separately stated that they will continue making additional films in the series, so long as they are both involved together. [37] In January 2023, Johnson stated that a suggestion from fans to create a Benoit Blanc mystery film with The Muppets as the supporting cast had inspired him. The writer/director said that he seriously considered this an option, but should he create such a project he would want it to contribute to both IPs without taking away from their significance. [38] That same month, the filmmaker acknowledged the realization for a possible Knives Out Christmas special. [39]
This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in more than two films in the series.
Character | |||
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2019 | 2022 | 2025 | |
Knives Out | Glass Onion | Wake Up Dead Man | |
Primary characters | |||
P.I. Det. Benoit Blanc | Daniel Craig | ||
Hugh Ransom Drysdale | Chris Evans | ||
Marta Cabrera | Ana de Armas | ||
Miles Bron | Edward Norton | ||
Cassandra "Andi" Brand & Helen Brand | Janelle Monáe | ||
Secondary characters | |||
Linda Drysdale (née Thrombey) | Jamie Lee Curtis | ||
Walt Thrombey | Michael Shannon | ||
Richard Drysdale | Don Johnson | ||
Joni Thrombey | Toni Collette | ||
Detective Lieutenant Elliott | Lakeith Stanfield | ||
Megan "Meg" Thrombey | Katherine Langford | ||
Jacob Thrombey | Jaeden Martell | ||
Harlan Thrombey | Christopher Plummer | ||
Claire Debella | Kathryn Hahn | ||
Lionel Toussaint | Leslie Odom Jr. | ||
Peg | Jessica Henwick | ||
Whiskey | Madelyn Cline | ||
Birdie Jay | Kate Hudson | ||
Duke Cody | Dave Bautista | ||
TBA | Josh O'Connor | ||
Glenn Close | |||
Father Frank | Josh Brolin | ||
G. Scott | Mila Kunis | ||
TBA | Jeremy Renner | ||
Kerry Washington | |||
Andrew Scott | |||
Cailee Spaeny | |||
Daryl McCormack | |||
Thomas Haden Church | |||
Minor characters | |||
Alan Stevens | Frank Oz | ||
Donna Thrombey | Riki Lindhome | ||
Fran | Edi Patterson | ||
Wanetta "Great Nana" Thrombey | K Callan | ||
Trooper Wagner | Noah Segan | ||
Mr. Proofroc | M. Emmet Walsh | ||
Mrs. Cabrera | Marlene Forte | ||
Alicia "Alice" Cabrera | Shyrley Rodriguez | ||
Detective Hardrock | Joseph Gordon-Levitt C V | ||
Neil Thrombey | Mentioned | ||
Derol | Noah Segan | ||
Ma Cody | Jackie Hoffman | ||
Devon Debella | Dallas Roberts | ||
Miles's assistant | Ethan Hawke | ||
Phillip | Hugh Grant | ||
Themselves | Angela Lansbury [a] | ||
Stephen Sondheim [a] | |||
Natasha Lyonne | |||
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | |||
Serena Williams | |||
Yo-Yo Ma | |||
Hourly Dong | Joseph Gordon-Levitt C V | ||
Film | Box office gross | Box office ranking | Home video sales gross | Gross total income | Budget | Worldwide net total income | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
North America | Other territories | Worldwide | All-time North America | All-time worldwide | North America | |||||
Knives Out | $165,364,060 | $147,588,118 | $312,952,178 | #323 | #659 | $23,140,938 | $336,093,116 | $40,000,000 | $296,093,116 | [2] [40] |
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery | $15,000,000 | — | $15,000,000 | #4,401 | #6,149 | — | $15,000,000 | -$25,000,000 | [3] [41] [42] | |
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery | [ to be determined ] | [ to be determined ] | [ to be determined ] | [ to be determined ] | [ to be determined ] | [ to be determined ] | [ to be determined ] | [ to be determined ] | [1] | |
Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore |
---|---|---|---|
Knives Out | 97% (474 reviews) [43] | 82/100 (52 reviews) [44] | A- [45] |
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery | 94% (206 reviews) [4] | 81/100 (51 reviews) [46] | — |
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery | [ to be determined ] | [ to be determined ] | [ to be determined ] |
Rian Craig Johnson is an American filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with the neo-noir mystery film Brick (2005), which received positive reviews and grossed nearly $4 million on a $450,000 budget. Transitioning to higher-profile films, Johnson achieved mainstream recognition for writing and directing the science-fiction thriller Looper (2012) to critical and commercial success. Johnson landed his largest project when he wrote and directed the space opera Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), which grossed over $1 billion. He returned to the mystery genre with Knives Out (2019) and its sequel Glass Onion (2022), both of which earned him Academy Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay, respectively.
The Last of Sheila is a 1973 American whodunnit mystery film directed by Herbert Ross and written by Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim. It starred Richard Benjamin, Dyan Cannon, James Coburn, Joan Hackett, James Mason, Ian McShane, and Raquel Welch.
Daniel Wroughton Craig is an English actor. He gained international fame by playing the fictional secret agent James Bond for five installments in the film series: Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and No Time to Die (2021).
Jessica Yu-Li Henwick is a British actress, writer and director. She began her career in 2010 and is best known for her roles in Game of Thrones, Iron Fist, Love and Monsters, The Defenders, Silk, The Matrix Resurrections, The Gray Man, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and The Royal Hotel. Her directorial debut Bus Girl was nominated for a BAFTA.
Jaeden Martell is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor, with roles in the comedy drama St. Vincent (2014) and science fiction film Midnight Special (2016). His performance in St. Vincent earned him a nomination for the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer. After playing the title character in the drama The Book of Henry (2017), Martell's breakthrough came with his portrayal of Bill Denbrough in the supernatural horror films It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019). This led to further leading roles in horror films, such as The Lodge (2019) and Mr. Harrigan's Phone (2022).
Ram Bergman is an Israeli film producer. He is known for producing Brick (2005), The Brothers Bloom (2008), Looper (2012), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), and Knives Out (2019), all of which were written and directed by Rian Johnson.
Cailee Spaeny is an American actress. Spaeny's first major role was in the science fiction film Pacific Rim Uprising (2018). She followed this appearing in the neo-noir film Bad Times at the El Royale (2018), the biographical films On the Basis of Sex and Vice, the fantasy film The Craft: Legacy (2020), and the miniseries Devs (2020) and Mare of Easttown (2021).
Madelyn Renee Cline is an American actress and model. She is best known for her roles as Sarah Cameron on the Netflix teen drama series Outer Banks (2020–present) and as Whiskey in Rian Johnson's mystery film Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022).
Knives Out is a 2019 mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson. Daniel Craig leads an eleven-actor ensemble cast as Benoit Blanc, a famed private detective who is summoned to investigate the death of the bestselling author Harlan Thrombey. Police rule Harlan's death a suicide but Blanc suspects foul play, and investigates to find the true cause of his death. Johnson produced Knives Out with his longtime collaborator Ram Bergman. Funding came from MRC and a multi-million-dollar tax subsidy from the Government of Massachusetts. Lionsgate managed the film's commercial distribution.
Knives Out is a 2019 film by Rian Johnson.
T-Street is an American film and television production company led by Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman. Under its T-Street Productions division, the company is responsible for the feature-length film Knives Out and the sequel Glass Onion.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a 2022 American mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson, and produced by Johnson and Ram Bergman. It is a standalone sequel to the 2019 film Knives Out, and the second installment in the Knives Out film series. The movie stars Daniel Craig reprising his role as master detective Benoit Blanc as he takes on a new case revolving around tech billionaire Miles Bron and his closest friends. The ensemble cast also includes Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, or simply Wake Up Dead Man, is an upcoming American mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson. It is a standalone sequel to Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) and the third installment overall in the Knives Out film series. It stars Daniel Craig, who reprises his role as master detective Benoit Blanc. The ensemble cast also includes Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church.
Poker Face is an American crime comedy-drama television series created by Rian Johnson for the streaming service Peacock. Stylized as a "case-of-the-week" murder mystery series, it stars Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale, a casino worker on the run who entangles herself into several mysterious deaths of strangers along the way.
Knives Out (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2019 film of the same name, directed by Rian Johnson, featuring an ensemble cast includes Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, LaKeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, and Christopher Plummer. The original score is composed by Nathan Johnson, Rian's cousin and norm collaborator; it also marked Nathan's fourth collaboration with Rian, beginning with Brick (2005), The Brothers Bloom (2009) and Looper (2012), excluding Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) which was scored by John Williams. The score album was released by Cut Narrative Records on November 27, 2019, coinciding the film's release.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is the score album to the 2022 film of the same name directed by Rian Johnson, a sequel to Knives Out (2019). The film's original score is composed by Nathan Johnson, who composed the predecessor and features 27 tracks. The score was released by Netflix Music on November 25, 2022.
"Dead Man's Hand" is the series premiere of the American murder mystery comedy-drama television series Poker Face. The episode was written and directed by series creator Rian Johnson. It was released on Peacock on January 26, 2023, alongside the three follow-up episodes.
Netflix is plunking down an astounding $450 million for the rights