There are two sequels to Rian Johnson’s hit murder mystery thriller Knives Out on the way, which will stream exclusively on Netflix. Here’s everything we know so far.
Rian Johnson has had a fascinating and diverse directorial career to date. He made his debut with the 2005 high school film noir Brick, which was followed by the romantic caper movie The Brothers Bloom, and the time-twisting sci-fi thriller Looper. Next up was the Star Wars movie The Last Jedi. While some of that film’s more surprising plot and character developments divided fans, anyone who had followed Johnson’s career up to that point knew that he was unlikely to deliver a totally conventional Star Wars movie (after all, we have J.J. Abrams for that.)
So it was little surprise when Johnson made another left turn for his fifth movie. Knives Out was a hugely entertaining old-fashioned murder mystery, with a star-studded cast clearly having a great time with the movie’s dark humor, razor-sharp dialogue, and clever twists. Knives Out was a financial success too. It made $311 million worldwide from a modest production budget of $40 million, an impressive number for a Hollywood movie that wasn’t a sequel, reboot, or based on an existing property. What’s more, it earned Johnson an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
The writer-director started talking about his hopes to make a second Knives Out movie soon after the release of the first, and in April 2021, the film was officially announced. While distributors Lionsgate gave Knives Out a wide theatrical release, it was Netflix which signed on to finance not only the sequel, but a third entry too. It was reported that the streaming giant paid a whopping $469 million for the rights to the Knives Out sequels, with Johnson, producer Ram Bergman, and star Daniel Craig set to make $100 million each. Another impressive cast has been assembled, and with production about to begin on Knives Out 2, here’s what we know so far.
Who’s the writer and director?
Rian Johnson is set to return as writer and director on both of the Knives Out sequels.
What’s the title?
An official title for the movie has not been revealed yet.
Who’s coming back?
So far the only confirmed cast member from the first movie is Daniel Craig, as private detective Benoit Blanc. In an amusing Instagram post in April, Knives Out star Jamie Lee Curtis confirmed that “none of us will be joining Mr. Blanc in Greece,” as well as providing updates on what happened to the Thromby family after the events of the first film.
Who’s new to the cast?
Knives Out 2 has assembled an amazing supporting cast so far. No details about any characters have been revealed yet, but this list of names alone makes the movie a must watch:
- Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy, Army of the Dead)
- Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks, Stranger Things)
- Jessica Henwick (Underwater, Love and Monsters)
- Kathryn Hahn (WandaVision)
- Kate Hudson (Deepwater Horizon, Almost Famous)
- Janelle Monáe (Homecoming, Antebellum)
- Edward Norton (The Incredible Hulk)
- Leslie Odom Jr. (One Night in Miami)
When is the movie released?
Knives Out 2 doesn’t have a release date yet, but with production set to start in June in Greece, it’s a good bet that it will be released in 2022.
What’s the storyline?
We know very little about the plot of Knives Out 2. The movie will be set in Greece, which will give the movie a very different feel to the New England setting of the first film. Johnson already revealed his intention to change things up this time, stating, “if I can get together with Daniel every few years and do a new Benoit Blanc mystery–new location, new cast, new mystery–it’d be so much fun.”
Mre recently, Odom Jr. has described the script as “great fun,” while Bautista went even further and stated it was “brilliant.”
What do we know about Knives Out 3?
Whatever happens with Knives Out 2, the third movie is definitely happening. But beyond that, nothing is known about Johnson’s plans for Knives Out 3, and with production on the second film about to start, we’re unlikely to know more for some time.
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