Over the course of the past decade, Rian Johnson has gone from being the director behind one of the most divisive Star Wars movies to the beloved creator of the next great murder mystery comedy franchise with Knives Out. It’s safe to say that fans of Johnson’s dark comedies, and whodunits in general, are eager to see what the future holds for the property.
At some point in the future, Knives Out 3 will be here with a new mystery, a new location, a new set of characters (besides Mr. Blanc, of course), and a new level of intrigue. Though we don’t yet know the release date, who will be appearing, or even the official title, there are a few things of note we do know about the Netflix exclusive title. Let’s unfold those layers now, shall we?
What Is The Knives Out 3 Premiere Date?
At the time of updating this in February 2024, there is no set release date for Knives Out 3. Truthfully, it’s not that much of a shocker, as there hasn’t been any news regarding casting yet (which we’ll get to in a bit).
I would not expect this to appear on any 2024 movie schedule, or the Netflix movie schedule in the near future.
What we do know is that the movie will eventually premiere on Netflix thanks to the massive exclusivity deal Johnson signed with the streaming giant in the spring of 2021.
Daniel Craig Will Return To Lead, But No One Else Has Been Cast Yet
Deadline confirmed in January 2024 that Daniel Craig will return to reprise his role as Benoit Blanc – and honestly, thank God, because I don’t think these movies would be the same without him.
Craig has portrayed the famous detective since 2019 during the first Knives Out film, and has since become beloved even more so for his great portrayal, hilarious timing, and spectacular acting skills. It wouldn’t quite be Knives Out if he wasn’t there.
In addition to the lead role in the two Knives Out movies, Craig has appeared in plenty of other films, including Elizabeth, Munich, Logan Lucky, The Golden Compass and many others. Many people nowadays most likely recognize him from his time in the James Bond movies where he played the titular character, all of which were critically acclaimed.
Granted, the Knives Out movies could always go the James Bond route and recast the character every other decade with a new actor, but I think these movies are perfect just the way they are.
However, even if we know Craig will return, we don’t know anyone else who will appear in Knives Out 3 yet.
The Knives Out cast, which included the likes of Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, Ana De Armas, and the late Christopher Plummer, started off the franchise in fantastic fashion with varying levels of on-screen chemistry with Craig.
None of the actors, besides Craig, appeared in the Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery cast three years later, but Johnson put together a group of actors that was just as impressive with everyone from Dave Bautista and Kate Hudson to Edward Norton appearing in the Mediterranean-set whodunit. All of this is to say that whomever Johnson approaches to appear in Knives Out 3 will most likely knock it out of the park in the upcoming murder mystery.
As of now, though, no one has been announced. But hopefully, it won’t be long before we hear something – and most likely, it will be an entirely new cast.
Rian Johnson, the director and writer of the last two movies, told Variety in October 2022 that he wants these films to be like Agatha Christie novels, where each story holds a new mystery and a new cast of characters:
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 and I are having a good time. I'll keep making these as long as they let me.
I’m just dying to see who he gets for this time around.
Filming For The Movie Will Hopefully Begin In 2024
I’m sure at this point you’re wondering when Knives Out 3 will start filming. Thankfully, we do know from that Deadline article that filming for the movie is set to begin at some point this year in 2024.
The article was published in January 2024, where it was confirmed that T-Street (a production company) was getting ready with Netflix to film the show later in 2024, so hopefully it won’t be long before we get some sort of update.
Rian Johnson Will Write And Direct Again
While we haven’t gotten any news on what the movie will be about, what we do know is that the film itself is in the writing stages – specifically Johnson will return to direct and write again.
This was further confirmed by that Deadline article above, where they announced Johnson would be working on the third movie.. Considering the last few movies have been critically acclaimed for their stories, this makes me even happier.
There have even been updates that Johnson has put out, most recently as of October 2023 in an interview with The Wrap. He confirmed that he was working on it and that it was “coming along,” since he wasn’t able to work on it before thanks to the 2023 Writer’s Strike:
It’s coming along. I obviously couldn’t work during the strike, and now that it’s over, I’m driving in full force, and so it’s coming along. I’ve got the premise, I’ve got the setting, I’ve got what the movie is in my head. It’s just a matter of writing the damn thing.
All I know is that I am counting down the days until we get to see it all again. It’ll be great.
Rian Johnson Plans To Make More Knives Out Movies
As it currently stands, Knives Out 3 is currently the only upcoming movie in the franchise that has been greenlit by Netflix, but this isn’t to say Rian Johnson is going to end things after the third movie is released. During the premiere of Glass Onion at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival (via Variety), Johnson joked about the property’s future, saying he plans to keep making them until Daniel Craig “blocks me on his phone.”
Who knows, maybe Johnson and Craig will team up enough times to match, or even eclipse the actor’s James Bond appearances. In case you were wondering, Craig played 007 a total of five times, starting with 2006’s Casino Royale and ending with 2021’s No Time to Die.
Don’t Forget About Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery And The Original Knives Out
I know we’re all waiting for Knives Out 3, but don’t forget that the first two films are available to watch and stream online. You can check out Knives Out on AMC+, and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is streaming on Netflix.
Stream Knives Out on AMC+
Stream Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery on Netflix.
Expect to hear more about Knives Out 3 as time goes on. Until then, we’ll just need to be patient – and somehow not lose our mind while waiting.
