Netflix has released a teaser trailer for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.
While plot details remain under wraps, the streamer has teased that the upcoming film “ventures into a darker tone unlike anything seen in the previous films.”
Daniel Craig returns as the ascot-wearing sleuth detective Benoit Blanc. He will be joined by a new ensemble cast which includes Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, and Josh O'Connor. Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, and Cailee Spaeny also feature.
Filmmaker Rian Johnson returns to direct Wake Up Dead Man after helming the previous two entries. Johnson's other films include Brick (2005) and Looper (2012).
Johnson has previously spoken about how much he enjoys working in the genre, saying “I love everything about whodunnits, but one of the things I love most is how malleable the genre is. 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.”
He has also described his casting approach for the series as akin to “throwing a dinner party.”
“We've been very lucky with each of these movies to have gathered some of my favourite actors on the planet, and that's absolutely the case here,” Johnson tells Tudum. “They're also all lovely folks who get along, which is the dinner party aspect of it. When you're making an ensemble movie like this, I think that's key.”
Knives Out (2019) received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. It also grossed over $312 million worldwide. Knives Out was followed up by Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022), which also received a screenplay nomination, albeit in the adapted category.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery releases on Netflix on 12 December 2025.
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