Draft:Knives Out (film series)

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Knives Out
Directed byRian Johnson
Written byRian Johnson
Produced by
Starring
CinematographySteve Yedlin
Edited byBob Ducsay
Music byNathan Johnson
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$40 million
Box office$328 million

The Knives Out film series consists of American murder mystery films written, directed, and co-produced by Rian Johnson. The films star Daniel Craig as private detective/investigator Benoit Blanc, involved with investigating mysteries. Other prominent cast members who appear in the films within the series include Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Christopher Plummer, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, Ethan Hawke, Kate Hudson, Edward Norton and Leslie Odom Jr. in supporting roles.

The film series started in 2019 with, Knives Out, which was met with critical acclaim, particularly for its screenplay, direction, and acting, from both audience and film critics and grossed $311.4 million worldwide against a $40 million budget. After the first film's success, Netflix bought the exclusive rights to two Knives Out sequels for over $400 million. The second film, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, began production in June 2021 on an island in Greece and took place until July. Principal photography continued outside of Greece and concluded that September.

Films[edit]

Film U.S. release date Director Screenwriter Producers
Knives Out November 27, 2019 (2019-11-27) Rian Johnson Ram Bergman and Rian Johnson
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery December 23, 2022 (2022-12-23)
Untitled third film TBA Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman, and Katie McNeill

Released[edit]

Knives Out (2019)[edit]

Main article: Knives Out

In developing the film, Johnson cited several classic mystery thrillers and mystery comedies as influences, including The Last of Sheila, Murder on the Orient Express, Something's Afoot, Murder by Death, Death on the Nile, The Private Eyes, The Mirror Crack'd, Evil Under the Sun, Deathtrap, Clue, and Gosford Park.[1] The 1972 version of Sleuth, a favorite "whodunit adjacent" of Johnson's, was also an inspiration, particularly for the setting and set design, including the automaton, Jolly Jack the Sailor.[2][3][4] The title was taken from the 2001 Radiohead song "Knives Out"; Johnson, a Radiohead fan, said: "Obviously, the movie has nothing to do with the song ... That turn of phrase has always stuck in my head. And it just seemed like a great title for a murder mystery."[5] The name Harlan Thrombey is taken from a 1981 Choose Your Own Adventure whodunit, Who Killed Harlowe Thrombey?[6]

Knives Out was announced in September 2018, with Daniel Craig starring. It was sold to distributors during the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival.[7] In October 2018, Chris Evans, Lakeith Stanfield, Michael Shannon, Ana de Armas, Don Johnson, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Toni Collette joined the cast.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14] In November 2018, Christopher Plummer, Jaeden Martell, Katherine Langford, Riki Lindhome, and Edi Patterson joined the cast.[15][16][17] Frequent Johnson collaborator Noah Segan was announced as being in the film in December.[18][19] In March 2019, Frank Oz, who previously worked with Johnson in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, revealed that he would be appearing in a small role.[20] M. Emmet Walsh was cast in the film to replace Ricky Jay, who had died during production.[21]

The film had its world premiere at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2019, and was theatrically released in the United States on November 27 by Lionsgate Films. The film received critical acclaim, particularly for its screenplay, direction, and acting. At the 77th Golden Globe Awards, it received three nominations in the Musical or Comedy category, while also receiving Best Original Screenplay nominations at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards and 92nd Academy Awards. It was selected by the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 2019.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)[edit]

Main article: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Before the release of Knives Out, Johnson said he would like to create sequels with Benoit Blanc investigating further mysteries, and that he already had an idea for a sequel.[22][23] In January 2020, Johnson confirmed that he was writing a sequel, intended to focus on Blanc investigating a new mystery. Craig was expected to reprise his role, and acknowledged interest in the project.[24] By February 2020, Lionsgate announced that a sequel had been officially green-lit for production.[25]

In March 2021, Netflix bought the rights to two Knives Out sequels for over $400 million and that filming would begin in June 2021, in Greece. Despite Lionsgate's prior announcement that they had approved a sequel, reports indicate that Johnson and Bergman retained the sequel rights, which they shopped to other distributors without the involvement of Lionsgate or MRC.[26][27] In April 2021, Courtis confirmed that the Thrombey family from the first film would not be returning for the sequel, while elaborating on what each family member has been up to since the end of the first installment.[28] The cast was rounded out in May and June 2021, with: Dave Bautista, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Kate Hudson, Madelyn Cline, Jessica Henwick, and Ethan Hawke added in undisclosed roles.[29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37]

Principal photography officially commenced on June 28, 2021 in Greece and concluded that September.[38] In June 2022, the official title was revealed to be Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. The movie was released on December 23, 2022, with Netflix considering a 45-day theatrical exclusive debut prior to its streaming release.[39][40]

Upcoming[edit]

Untitled third film (TBA)[edit]

In March 2021, it was reported that Netflix had agreed to pay over $450 million for the rights to two sequels to be written and directed by Johnson, with Craig reprising his role as detective Benoit Blanc.[26][27] In June 2022, Johnson revealed that "Knives Out 3" was a working title with his intent being that each film has a distinct title, citing the works of Agatha Christie as his inspiration for the films and the individual titles.[39]

By January 2023, Johnson confirmed that he had started writing the script for the third film, stating that it will be tonally and thematically different from the previous installments.[41] The filmmaker later stated that though he had approved the subtitle of A Knives Out Mystery for the previous installment, he would like to rename the series and add A Benoit Blanc Mystery as subtitles to future installments.[42]

In October 2023, following the adherence to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike and the resolution thereof, Johnson announced that he had started working on the script for the third movie. The filmmaker stated that he has the premise planned, and can begin writing again.[43] Principal photography is scheduled to commence at an unspecified date in 2024.[44][45]

Future[edit]

In September 2022, Craig and Johnson both separately stated that they will continue making additional films in the series, so long as they are both involved together.[46] In January 2023, Johnson stated that a suggestion from fans to create a Benoit Blanc mystery film with The Muppets as the supporting cast had inspired him. The writer/director said that he seriously considered this an option, but should he create such a project he would want it to contribute to both IPs without taking away from their significance.[47] That same month, the filmmaker acknowledged the realization for a possible Knives Out Christmas special.[48]

Recurring cast and characters[edit]

List indicator(s)

This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in more than two films in the series.

  • An empty, dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.
  •  C indicates a cameo role.
  •  V indicates a voice-only role.
Character
2019 2022 TBA
Knives Out Glass Onion:
A Knives Out Mystery 		Untitled third film
Primary characters
P.I. Det. Benoit Blanc Daniel Craig
Hugh Ransom Drysdale Chris Evans
Marta Cabrera Ana de Armas
Miles Bron Edward Norton
Cassandra "Andi" Brand / Helen Brand Janelle Monáe
Secondary characters
Linda Drysdale Jamie Lee Curtis
Walt Thrombey Michael Shannon
Richard Drysdale Don Johnson
Joni Thrombey Toni Collette
Detective Lieutenant Elliott Lakeith Stanfield
Claire Debella Kathryn Hahn
Lionel Toussaint Leslie Odom Jr.
Peg Jessica Henwick
Whiskey Madelyn Cline
Birdie Jay Kate Hudson
Duke Cody Dave Bautista
Minor characters
Meg Thrombey Katherine Langford
Jacob Thrombey Jaeden Martell
Harlan Thrombey Christopher Plummer
Donna Thrombey Riki Lindhome
Fran Edi Patterson
Alan Stevens Frank Oz
Wanetta Thrombey K Callan
Trooper Wagner Noah Segan
Mr. Proofroc M. Emmet Walsh
Mrs. Cabrera Marlene Forte
Detective Hardrock Joseph Gordon-LevittCV
Miles's assistant Ethan Hawke
Phillip Hugh Grant
Themselves Natasha Lyonne
Yo-Yo Ma
Stephen Sondheim[a]
Angela Lansbury[a]
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Derol Noah Segan
Ma Jackie Hoffman
Miles's clock Joseph Gordon-LevittCV

Additional production and crew details[edit]

Film Crew/Detail
Composer Cinematographer Editor Production
company 		Distributing
companies 		Running time
Knives Out Nathan Johnson Steve Yedlin Bob Ducsay T-Street Productions,
MRC 		Lions Gate Entertainment 2 hrs 19 mins
Glass Onion:
A Knives Out Mystery 		T-Street Productions,
Netflix Original Films 		Netflix
Untitled third film TBA TBA TBA TBA

Reception[edit]

For more details on the reception of each film, see the "Reception" section on each film's article.

Box office and financial performance[edit]

Film Box office gross Box office ranking Home video
sales gross 		Gross
total income 		Budget Worldwide net
total income 		Ref.
North America Other territories Worldwide All-time
North America 		All-time
worldwide 		North America
Knives Out $165,364,060 $147,588,118 $312,952,178 #323 #659 $23,140,938 $336,093,116 $40,000,000 $296,093,116 [49][50]
Glass Onion:
A Knives Out Mystery 		$15,000,000 — $15,000,000 #4,401 #6,149 — $15,000,000 -$25,000,000 [51][52][53]
Untitled third film $ $ $ # # $ $ $ $

Critical and public response[edit]

Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore
Knives Out 97% (474 reviews)[54] 82/100 (52 reviews)[55] A-[56]
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery 94% (206 reviews)[57] 81/100 (51 reviews)[58] —
Untitled third film [to be determined] [to be determined] [to be determined]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b Sondhein and Lansbury both appeared in the film posthumously, as both passed away before the film's release.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Johnson, Rian [@rianjohnson] (January 30, 2019). "Edit room posters: Knives Out edition..." (Tweet). Retrieved February 1, 2019 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ Rian Johnson's Favorite Whodunits, archived from the original on December 30, 2019, retrieved January 4, 2020
  3. ^ Tangcay, Jazz (November 30, 2019). "Finding the Perfect Murder-Mystery Home for Rian Johnson's 'Knives Out'". Variety. Archived from the original on December 8, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  4. ^ Sims, David (December 3, 2019). "Rian Johnson Turned the Whodunit on Its Head". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  5. ^ "Is Radiohead's song 'Knives Out' in Rian Johnson's movie 'Knives Out'?". Los Angeles Times. September 7, 2019. Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  6. ^ "Blade runner: Rian Johnson discusses 'Knives Out'". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on November 25, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  7. ^ Fleming, Mike, Jr. (September 4, 2018). "Toronto Kicks Off With Hot Package: Daniel Craig Stars, Rian Johnson Directs & Scripts Murder Mystery 'Knives Out'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (October 4, 2018). "Chris Evans To Join Daniel Craig In Rian Johnson's Red-Hot Murder Mystery 'Knives Out'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  9. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (October 8, 2018). "Lakeith Stanfield Joins Daniel Craig & Chris Evans In Rian Johnson's Murder Mystery 'Knives Out'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  10. ^ Kroll, Justin (October 8, 2018). "Michael Shannon in Talks to Join Rian Johnson's 'Knives Out' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on January 14, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  11. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (October 18, 2018). "'Blade Runner 2049' Star Ana De Armas Joins Daniel Craig & Chris Evans In 'Knives Out'; Shoot Begins Next Month". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  12. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 19, 2018). "Don Johnson In Advanced Talks For Rian Johnson's 'Knives Out'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  13. ^ Kroll, Justin (October 25, 2018). "Jamie Lee Curtis Joins Rian Johnson's 'Knives Out' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on March 1, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  14. ^ Kroll, Justin (October 30, 2018). "Toni Collette Joins Rian Johnson's 'Knives Out'". Variety. Archived from the original on October 31, 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  15. ^ Kit, Borys (November 2, 2018). "Christopher Plummer in Talks to Join Rian Johnson's Murder Mystery 'Knives Out' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 2, 2018. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  16. ^ Kit, Borys; Galuppo, Mia (November 9, 2018). "Katherine Langford Joins Rian Johnson's 'Knives Out' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  17. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (November 9, 2018). "'Knives Out': Riki Lindhome, Edi Patterson, Raúl Castillo Join Rian Johnson Movie". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 10, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  18. ^ Wampler, Scott (December 4, 2018). "Noah Segan Is In Rian Johnson's Knives Out". BirthMoviesDeath. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  19. ^ Giroux, Jack (January 10, 2019). "'State Like Sleep' Star Michael Shannon Discusses Christopher Walken, Working With Rian Johnson on 'Knives Out,' and the 2018 Movie Everyone Should See". /Film. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  20. ^ Pearson, Ben (March 12, 2019). "Yoda Actor Frank Oz Reuniting with 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' Director Rian Johnson to Act in 'Knives Out'". /Film. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  21. ^ Huff, Lauren (November 29, 2019). "Daniel Craig's 'Knives Out' character pays homage to 1972's 'Sleuth,' and more Easter eggs from the film". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  22. ^ Weintraub, Steve (November 22, 2019). "Rian Johnson Talks 'Knives Out', Sequels, and His Brilliant Cast". Collider. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  23. ^ Collider (November 22, 2019). "Knives Out: Director Rian Johnson Interview". YouTube: Collider Interviews. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  24. ^ Sinha-Roy, Piya & Rebecca Keegan (January 5, 2020). "'Knives Out' Sequel in the Works, Story to Center on Daniel Craig's Detective Character". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 6, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  25. ^ Hipes, Patrick (February 6, 2020). "'Knives Out' Sequel in the Works, Story to Center on Daniel Craig's Detective Character". Deadline. Archived from the original on February 7, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  26. ^ a b Lang, Brent; Donnelly, Matt (March 31, 2021). "Netflix Buys 'Knives Out' Sequels for $450 Million". Variety. Archived from the original on March 31, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  27. ^ a b Galuppo, Mia; Kit, Borys (March 31, 2021). "'Knives Out' Sequels Land at Netflix". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  28. ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (April 2, 2021). "'Knives Out': Jamie Lee Curtis Gives Update on the Thrombeys and Their Involvement in the Sequels". Collider. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  29. ^ Kroll, Justin (May 10, 2021). "'Knives Out 2': Dave Bautista Joins Daniel Craig In Rian Johnson's Sequel For Netflix". Deadline. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  30. ^ Kroll, Justin (May 11, 2021). "'Knives Out 2': Edward Norton Joins Daniel Craig In Sequel To Rian Johnson's Hit Murder Mystery". Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  31. ^ Kroll, Justin (May 12, 2021). "'Knives Out 2': Janelle Monáe Latest To Join Daniel Craig In Sequel To Rian Johnson's Hit Murder Mystery". Deadline. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  32. ^ Kroll, Justin (May 13, 2021). "Knives Out 2: Kathryn Hahn Latest Addition To All-Star Cast In Sequel To Rian Johnson's Hit Murder Mystery". Deadline. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  33. ^ Galuppo, Mia & Borys Kit (May 18, 2021). "Leslie Odom Jr. Joins Daniel Craig in 'Knives Out 2' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  34. ^ Galuppo, Mia (May 20, 2021). "Kate Hudson Joins 'Knives Out 2' at Netflix (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  35. ^ Kroll, Justin (June 8, 2021). "'Knives Out 2': 'Outer Banks' Star Madelyn Cline Joins Daniel Craig In Sequel". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  36. ^ Kroll, Justin (June 14, 2021). "'Knives Out 2': 'Matrix 4's Jessica Henwick Joins Daniel Craig In Sequel". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  37. ^ Dick, Jeremy (June 29, 2021). "Knives Out 2 Set Photos Reveal Ethan Hawke Has Joined the Cast". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on August 17, 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  38. ^ Ferme, Antonio (June 28, 2021). "Rian Johnson Announces 'Knives Out 2' Is Starting Production in Greece". Variety. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  39. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 13, 2022). "Rian Johnson Unveils Title Of 'Knives Out' Sequel". Deadline. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  40. ^ Shaw, Lucas (May 15, 2022). "Movie Theaters Want More Titles. Is Netflix Ready to Share Them?". Bloomberg Us Edition. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  41. ^ Laffly, Tomris (January 9, 2023). "Rian Johnson Talks Agatha Christie Inspiration, 'Knives Out 3′ Plans and Screenwriting Success". Variety. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  42. ^ Libbey, Dirk (January 23, 2023). "Rian Johnson Wants To Make A Key Change To The Knives Out Franchise After Glass Onion". CinemaBlend. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
  43. ^ Taylor, Drew (October 13, 2023). "'Fair Play' on T-Street: How 'The Date Movie From Hell' Was Born - Digital Cover". The Wrap. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  44. ^ Fleming Jr., Mike (January 25, 2024). "'Knives Out' T-Street Partners Rian Johnson & Ram Bergman Tap Katie McNeill To Join As Producer". Deadline. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  45. ^ Nash, Anthony (April 5, 2024). "Knives Out 3 Production Update on When Filming Starts". ComingSoon. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  46. ^ Dick, Jeremy (September 11, 2022). "Daniel Craig and Rian Johnson Don't Want to Ever Stop Making Knives Out Movies". MovieWeb. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  47. ^ McPherson, Christopher (January 3, 2023). "Rian Johnson Responds to 'Knives Out' and 'The Muppets' Crossover Demands". Collider. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  48. ^ Wasserman, Ben (January 3, 2023). "Rian Johnson Supports Fan's Knives Out Holiday Special Pitch". Comic Book Resource. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  49. ^ "Knives Out". The Numbers. Nash Information Services LLC. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  50. ^ "Knives Out". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  51. ^ "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services LLC. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  52. ^ "Glass Onion". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  53. ^ Kit, Borys (April 6, 2021). "'Knives Out' Sequels: The Whodunit Behind Netflix's $469M Power Play". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  54. ^ "Knives Out (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  55. ^ "Knives Out (2019)". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  56. ^ "CinemaScore". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  57. ^ "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  58. ^ "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 11, 2022.

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