NEED TO KNOW
Daniel Craig will return in the third Knives Out movie, which premieres later this year
New cast members include Josh O’Connor and Glenn Close
The first teaser showed Craig’s Benoit Blanc solving “the impossible crime”
Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is officially making his return later this year.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the third installment of the popular Knives Out murder mystery franchise, is set to debut on Netflix in December 2025.
In the first teaser — which was released on May 31 — Blanc can be seen attempting to solve the “holy grail” of mysteries.
Following the success of Knives Out and its sequel Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, a third film was first announced in March 2021, when Netflix bought the rights to the Knives Out franchise in a reported $400 million deal that included a second and third film.
Filming for the movie wrapped in August 2024, and several details have already been teased by Craig and Rian Johnson, the writer and director of the first two films. Fans also believe that the second film offers a major clue about the plot of the third film.
From the returning cast to the release date, here’s everything to know about Knives Out 3, a.k.a. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.
Who is in the Knives Out 3 cast?
Craig is slated to reprise his role as detective Benoit Blanc in the upcoming film. Seeing as Johnson has described the film trilogy as an anthology, it’s unlikely that any other cast members from Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will return.
In May 2024, several new cast members were announced, including Fleabag actor Andrew Scott, Challengers actor Josh O’Connor and Priscilla actress Cailee Spaeny.
Glenn Close is also among those joining the cast of Wake Up Dead Man. In August 2024, she told PEOPLE that filming the movie was “truly one of the best experiences of my life.”
“I’m filming in London with Rian Johnson,” she said. “He’s such a fine human being. He’s kind, he’s brilliant. He has a great laugh!”
She went on to praise Johnson for creating a “cast from heaven.”
“This coming two weeks, we have scenes where all of us are in the same room, and I just can’t wait to see what he does and what he does and what she does. It’s so much fun,” she said.
What will Knives Out 3 be about?
An official plot for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery hasn’t been announced yet, though some fans believe the second film includes an Easter egg about the storyline for the upcoming movie.
In one of the early scenes from the film, when everyone is surprised to see Benoit Blanc at the dock, Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn) asks, “Did you solve the murder of — oh — whatshername — the ballet dancer thing, that’s you?” Some viewers believe this is a hint that the third film could actually be a prequel about one of Benoit Blanc’s earlier cases.
In a clip shared by Netflix announcing the film’s official title, a voiceover states that this will be Blanc’s “most dangerous case yet.”
Who is directing Knives Out 3?
Johnson, who directed both Knives Out and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, will return to direct the third film. He will also pen the script for the upcoming movie.
When did Knives Out 3 film?
As Johnson revealed on X, filming began on June 10, 2024, and wrapped on Aug. 17, 2024.
“Aaaand that’s a wrap on Wake Up Dead Man. Went so fast! Best crew, incredible cast, this was a really special shoot and I cannot wait to put it together,” he wrote.
Is there a trailer for Knives Out 3?
While a full trailer for Knives Out 3 hasn’t been released yet, Netflix did release a new teaser trailer for the upcoming movie in May 2025.
The teaser shows a first glimpse of Craig in action as Benoit Blanc, who walks through an old cemetery as he attempts to solve what he calls his “most dangerous case yet.”
Though less than a minute of footage is included in the teaser, it seems the new film will take on a darker tone than Glass Onion did, with plenty of religious imagery to go around.
When will Knives Out 3 be released?
At Netflix’s 2025 Tudum event, the streaming service announced that Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will be released on Dec. 12, 2025.
Will there be a Knives Out 4?
While Netflix hasn’t greenlit a fourth film, Johnson is on board to make more movies if the script is right.
“If each one of these can really be what Agatha Christie did, if it can be not just in a totally new location and a new cast, but also trying something exciting, I’ll keep doing it as long as Daniel [Craig] and I are having a good time. I’ll keep making these as long as they let me,” he told Variety in 2022.
Craig echoed those same thoughts while speaking with Deadline, adding, “If people are interested, then we’ll make them. But if there ever came a point where either Rian and I thought we were just churning them out, I think we would back away. I mean, I just don’t think that’s what either of us want to do in life. Unless people are getting genuine fun out of them, forget it.”
Read the original article on People
