Everything We Know About The Future Of The Knives Out Films

Not only did Knives Out help to kick off our new obsession with murder mysteries when it arrived in 2019, its jump to Netflix for a subsequent two films did nothing to dilute its genius.

Rian Johnson worked hand in glove with Daniel Craig to make sure the series held momentum throughout its ensemble casts, new plots, and the risky move to the streaming giant. 

Benoit Blanc (Daniel) has remained the eccentric detective with the “Kentucky Fried Foghorn Leghorn Drawl” Ransom Drysdale (Chris Evans) describes in the first movie, threading the series together through outlandish twists and reliably fun characters.

And with the third film, Wake Up Dead Man, receiving yet another warm reception from critics and fans, it begs the question – what’s next for Knives Out? Here’s what we know so far…

Will there be another Knives Out movie?

After the success of the first film, Netflix snapped up the rights to produce two more sequels – Glass Onion and the recent Wake Up Dead Man. 

As far as we know, that’s where the current agreement ends. So if there is to be another Knives Out movie, a new deal will be required – either with Netflix or with another distributor like Lionsgate, who released the first film.

If we do get another Knives Out film, Rian has assured fans it will only come from him, as he owns the franchise along with producer Ram Bergman.

What has Rian Johnson said?

Rian has made it clear he loves making Knives Out movies, which can only be a good sign. 

In October, he said he’d be “thrilled to keep making these for the rest of my life”, explaining: “As long as audiences want to keep seeing it, and Daniel and I are still having fun making them and still feel like we can come up with stuff that feels not just fresh, but a fresh challenge for us, I think that’ll translate to a new experience for the audience.”

While Rian says he intends to make more Knives Out movies, he’s also admitted he “should probably do something else next” so we could be in for a wait. 

And how about Daniel Craig? 

Like Rian, Daniel is keen to make another Knives Out film, saying: “I don’t think I see it as a trilogy [...] If we can wind each other up enough, then we’ll make another one.”

Who could return for Knives Out 4?

Rian has made it crystal clear that besides Benoit Blanc (Daniel), he’s happy sticking to totally new casts for each movie. 

“I love the fact that each one of these is entirely its own case, entirely its own mystery,” he told Variety in a recent interview. “I love actors, I want to keep working with new actors, too. At this point, I like the idea of having a new group of folks each time.”

While it looks like that means no return for Wake Up Dead Man favourites like Josh O’Connor or Glass Onion’s Janelle Monáe, that doesn’t rule out easter egg appearances. 

For example, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has had minor voice roles in all three movies, while frequent Rian collaborator Noah Segan has had cameo appearances in all of the films.

Why are people talking about a Muppets crossover?

Knives Out fans have been calling for a Muppets crossover for a while, given the film series’ tendency to arrive around Christmas and the perfectly matched eccentricities between each universe. 

Rian previously poured cold water on the idea, saying he didn’t want to compromise the brilliance of either concept by merging them. However, Netflix took things into their own hands.

In the run-up to Wake Up Dead Man, the streaming platform released a short Sesame Street parody of Knives Out featuring a Muppets version of Benoit Blanc – renamed as Beignet Blanc – which got the seal of approval from Daniel himself.

Sesame Street’s take on Knives Out has only strengthened fans’ calls for a film that combines both, with suggestions of Daniel entering the universe as the only human. Only time will tell if Rian’s resolve not to do that weakens…

All three Knives Out movies are streaming on Netflix.