Benoit Blanc is back, baby! The third entry into the Knives Out franchise of fun little murder mysteries has been announced, it’s called Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery which is a terrible title, but I shall not let that get me down!
I love Benoit Blanc so much, I can’t wait for another movie, and the good news is, I barely have to. Dead Man is expected to film this year, and is slated for release in 2025, “release” here referring to a cursory theatrical window followed by a drop on Netflix. Despite signs that Glass Onion would have been a hit, Netflix is just DETERMINED not to be in the theatrical business and there is no chance they’ll change course with another Knives Out movie. (I recently had a conversation with a filmmaker’s rep, frustrated that her client thought he could “change their minds” about the unenthusiastic theatrical exhibition his film would get with a major streaming platform, and I was like, “Did you tell him that’s not their business?” and she said, “They all think they’re the special snowflake who will be the exception to the rule.” Interesting!)
The cast for Dead Man is shaping up—Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is a better title—with Andrew Scott being the latest edition. Besides Daniel Craig returning as the inimitable Benoit Blanc, Josh O’Connor and Cailee Spaeny are also on board. What I love about this is that any one of them could be the murderer! We need a fantasy casting organization for Knives Out movies, like drafting our own fantasy casts and “playing” our murderer. It’s the only way you’ll ever get me to care about fantasy sports!
Who else should be in Knives Out 3? Boyd Holbrook! Of course! And Timothy Olyphant! And put Joseph Gordon-Levitt in it for real this time! And Gwendoline Christie seems exactly the type to have a blast in a fun little murder mystery! What about Lily Gladstone? My girl needs to be in some more light-hearted fare! Speaking of! Julio Torres! He’s a genius, he’ll find levels we didn’t even know existed!
As for the plot, eh, I don’t care. I only care about the SETTING. Will it be a luxurious train this time? A mountain chalet? A boat? Although the surprisingly dour and overly plotted Death and Other Details may have temporarily put me off fancy boats for murder mysteries. What about a grand but slightly decayed English estate? Or! What about GRACELAND? “Benoit Blanc solves the mystery of who tried to steal Graceland” is a movie I’d watch one hundred times!