Daniel Craig charmed audiences as dogged detective Benoit Blanc in 2019’s Knives Out. The whodunit from director Rian Johnson was a critic and general audience pleaser. And with that film’s mystery resolved, fans wanted a sequel. We found out Johnson was at work on a follow-up to the murder mystery in early 2020. News about the sequel has been scarce since then. But on Wednesday afternoon, Variety reported Netflix threw down major cash for the rights to not only Knives Out 2, but Knives Out 3. A whole Knives Out trilogy!
Netflix reportedly paid $450 million for the films. That is… a lot. Like the company’s most expensive purchase in its history. However, a Netflix representative told IndieWire that though reports about the deal are accurate, the amount is not.
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The trilogy will reunite Johnson and Daniel Craig (whom we hope performs with a different ridiculous accent in each film), and we cannot wait. Give him a new mystery to solve, a la Agatha Christie (which is how Johnson envisioned the movie in the first place). He figured out who killed mystery writer Harlan Thrombey and how they did it; a talented and entertaining cast surrounded Craig too. So put Benoit Blanc on the case. We’ll happily watch the suspicion in his eyes while Blanc chews on clues. And I won’t complain if we get another monologue comparable to his musings on the donut and its hole.
Plus, Deadline reports that Dave Bautista is joining the cast for the sequel. We don’t know specifics about his role at this time. But please, Rian Johnson: put this man in a cable knit sweater. The next day, Deadline also revealed that Edward Norton will have a role in the film. The Hollywood Reporter has also confirmed Janelle Monáe will star in the upcoming sequel. But wait—there’s more! Variety adds that Kathryn Hahn, hot off her scene-stealing turn in WandaVision, is also on board. And fresh off an Oscar nomination for One Night in Miami, Leslie Odom Jr. is also joining the cast, per The Hollywood Reporter. As with Bautista, we don’t know who they’re playing yet. But that’s another four huge names for the project!
Though Netflix is doling out a reportedly staggering sum, the Knives Out trilogy seems lucrative. The first Knives Out film grossed $311 million worldwide. It had a $40 million budget. And I hope these sequels retain the sharp, period look of the first movie. The budget doesn’t necessarily need to grow bigger (though I guess it could add up if they bring in more killer talent).
Deadline states Knives Out 2 will begin shooting in Greece in late June.
Featured Image: Amazon Studios
Originally published on March 31, 2021, and was updated on May 10, May 11, May 12, and May 13, 2021.
Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist and the author of A Kid’s Guide to Fandom, available for pre-order now. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
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