Knives Out 4? Rian Johnson Says It’s All Up to One Actor

Wake Up Dead Man is currently supposed to become the final installment in the Knives Out franchise, but there’s a chance things could shift if one person decides so — here’s what director Rian Johnson has to say about the matter.
Netflix ’s upcoming mystery drama Wake Up Dead Man has long been considered the last chapter for detective Benoit Blanc’s adventures in the Knives Out movie series, but there might be more after all.
The movie, which comes as a sequel to both Knives Out and Glass Onion, released back in 2019 and 2022 respectively, will see the return of Daniel Craig as the quirky detective, also boasting of an all-star cast that comprises Andrew Scott, John O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, and many more.
The franchise’s overwhelming success is what keeps fans’ hope that Knives Out isn’t going anywhere even after the third and seemingly last movie — in fact, this can happen if just one person involved says yes to the idea.
Rian Johnson Says Knives Out’s Future Is Up to Daniel Craig
The actor’s Benoit Blanc is what made the franchise so outstandingly good, so no wonder he’s one of the first people whose opinion Johnson will consider.
Apart from the mere fact of the lead character’s return, the director also suggested he needs a compelling idea to go on with the franchise and not just something to feed the audience with.
“As long as Daniel [Craig] still wants to keep doing it and as long as we have an idea that, to us, feels not just like cranking another one out, but feels genuinely exciting and scary like, 'Oh, wow, could we pull that off?' I love the genre. It’s endlessly malleable, and so it holds endless possibilities. But at the same time, I have made three of them in a row. I don’t feel burnt out on it at all, but the next thing I have in my head to write is an original that’s not a mystery at all. It’s a totally different genre. One of the things I love about the mystery genre is that it holds the whodunit. Like sci-fi, it encompasses so many other types of genres. 'Wake Up Dead Man,' this next movie, is so different than 'Glass Onion.' It’s like night and day. And so, as long as we keep doing that, it’s exciting,” Johnson revealed in an interview with Collider.
What Knives Out Fans Expect from Wake Up Dead Man
Considering the last two movies’ good performance with both critics and viewers, there’s nothing but great fans can expect from Rian Johnson’s new installment.
“I’m happy for this news. These aren’t earth shaking films, but I will absolutely watch it the weekend it comes out. Well made, very fun but not a blockbuster. We’re badly missing those now,” Redditor Quepabloque shared in a thread.
“Knives Out was terrific. Glass Onion was very good elevated by the fact that all you have to do is put Janelle Monae on the screen and I will worship the screen. Look forward to this one as well,” The_Lone_Apple agreed.
“1st was great, but the second was pretty underwhelming. Though, if it keeps him from making Star Wars movies, I say keep making them,” Bobotts123 chimed in.
When Is Wake Up Dead Man Being Released?
The movie is expected to be dropped on Netflix sometime this year.