Don't worry murder-mystery movie fans: Knives Out is returning for a third film. Directed by Rian Johnson and inspired by classic mystery novels à la Agatha Christie, the Knives Out franchise has become a must-watch for both fans of classic films and casual viewers who've fallen in love with Daniel Craig's performance as the suave Southern detective Benoit Blanc. Arguably, the best thing about the series of films is their variety; after the original movie about the death of a wealthy patriarch became a 2019 box office hit (and cemented itself as a perfect fall movie), Netflix produced the 2022 follow-up Glass Onion, which put Blanc at odds with eccentric billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton). Whether it's the near-absurd settings, A-list ensemble cast, or mind-blowing plot twists, you can bet whodunnit fans would tune into these movies as long as they keep making them.
Luckily, Johnson and Netflix confirmed in 2021 that Knives Out would get not one but two sequels on the platform, and the stage is just about set for Blanc's next case. Below, we're keeping track of everything we know about the third Knives Out film so far.
The next Benoit Blanc mystery, the follow-up to Knives Out and Glass Onion, is called Wake Up Dead Man. pic.twitter.com/pdDXRDmwcIMay 24, 2024
When will 'Knives Out' 3 be released?
At a press event in late January 2025, Netflix confirmed that the third Knives Out film, Wake Up Dead Man will arrive on the streaming giant sometime in fall 2025. No official release date has been confirmed, but you can at least get excited knowing you'll be cozying up to watch the forthcoming mystery.
It's also yet to be revealed whether the film will hit theaters before it arrives on streaming. As fans may recall Lionsgate released the first Knives Out movie into theaters and then the sequel had a limited one-week release before it landed on Netflix. The cast and crew at least have expressed hope that fans will be able to enjoy a theatrical experience for Wake Up Dead Man. Daniel Craig told Variety in a November 2024 cover story, "Hopefully, Netflix will push it out a bit, and people will get to see it. The people I speak to—the fans, I suppose—all they want to do is take their families and go see it at the cinemas. That’s all they want to do. Hopefully we can give them that experience."
It has been known for quite some time that Wake Up Dead Man would release in 2025. In late May 2024, Johnson and Netflix offered the loose release date by sharing a motion-art teaser shared on X (formerly Twitter) in which the new title appeared, paired with an ominous black casket. In a separate post, Johnson confirmed that the film was set to start production soon.
"I love everything about whodunnits, but one of the things I love most is how malleable the genre is," he wrote in a thread. "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."
A little less than a month later on June 10, 2024, Netflix announced that Wake Up Dead Man had officially begun filming outside London. Johnson paired the news with a first-look image of Benoit Blanc; in the black-and-white pic, the detective has noticeably longer, perhaps even blonder hair while standing on a soundstage.
"Aaaaand we’re off! Today is day 1 of shooting on the next Benoit Blanc mystery 'Wake Up Dead Man' - see you on the other side," Johnson wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) about the news.
Who has been cast in 'Knives Out' 3?
In addition to franchise star Daniel Craig, Wake Up Dead Man will also include Josh O’Connor (fresh off the release of Challengers), Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church.
Though he isn't part of the official cast list, we're hopeful that Hugh Grant can make a surprise return to the franchise in another cameo as Blanc's live-in partner Philip, who was introduced in Glass Onion. (Please give us more Phenoit!)
Details about the cast's roles remain scarce, but Netflix has shared a first-look photo of some stars in the forthcoming film. When the streamer announced the movie's fall 2025 premiere date, it released a shot of Josh O'Connor and Daniel Craig, reprising his role as Benoit Blanc, in a church. It appears O'Connor is playing a priest, as he's seen wearing a clerical collar under casual clothing in the image, while Blanc looks dapper as ever. Now put on your detective's cap and start theorizing about what they're looking at off in the distance and what church-related case they might be on.
The new list of cast members will follow in the footsteps of the casts from both the original 2019 film (Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Jaime Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Lakeith Stanfield, and Katherine Langford) and Glass Onion (Janelle Monáe, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Dave Bautista, Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, and Edward Norton).
What is the plot of 'Knives Out 3?'
Like with Glass Onion, Johnson and Netflix are tight-lipped about any possible plot for Wake Up Dead Man. All fans currently have to speculate over is the title and a single teaser from the teaser Netflix shared in their official Tudum announcement. In the brief clip, Craig says in his iconic Southern drawl, "In the beginning, the knives came out. Then, behold, the glass was shattered. But my most dangerous case yet is about to be revealed."
So allow your imagination to run wild over the next year before the film's 2025. We'll be scoping out any possible hints until then.
