Rian Johnson On The Potential Of More ‘Knives Out’
With the upcoming release of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery just a few weeks away, Rian Johnson and the cast spoke at the film’s LA premiere about the possibility of more Knives Out films in the future.
Wake Up Dead Man is the third instalment in the franchise and completes the two-film deal Johnson signed in 2021 with Netflix. The streaming platform acquired the series after the original Knives Out proved a financial and critical hit for Lionsgate upon its release in 2019.
In his chat with The Hollywood Reporter, Johnson discussed the potential for continuing the series, even hinting at ways the franchise could be expanded. “Creatively, I feel energised after making this one,” he said on the red carpet. “Daniel and I are already starting to formulate … what could the next one be if we do another one? I don’t know why I would stop doing it if we could keep making them.”
Johnson also went on to say how each of the Knives Out films has been able to “engage with the here and now” through the murder mystery genre, with the first film tackling hostility toward immigrants and the newest entry looking at the weaponisation of religion.
The film’s themes of religion have sparked discussion among audiences. Josh O’Connor, who plays a priest in the film, shared his thoughts on the matter as well as his religious background. “I grew up Catholic, so it’s not too far removed from my own experience.” When talking specifically about his character, he said that “he has a brilliant mind and excellent faith and leads in kindness and forgiveness and thoughtfulness, and so he was a real help to me.”
When asked if he received any advice from his co-star Andrew Scott, who previously played a priest in Fleabag, O’Connor claimed, “he’s just not someone who would offer advice without being asked, and I wouldn’t ask for advice because then that would mean comparing myself with Andrew Scott, and I will never compare to Andrew Scott.”
In a situation that very easily could be part of a Knives Out film, some of the top Catholic bishops and nuns in America recently spoke out against the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts.
Johnson shared, “I was so happy to see the bishops … make that statement recently about the cruelty of how the current administration is handling immigration right now — the inhumanity of it and how that is so unchristlike. It’s something that all of us as human beings — religion aside — we shouldn’t be standing for right now.”
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery debuts December 12th on Netflix.
