<i>Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery</i>: Everything We Know

Welcome back, Benoit Blanc. The charismatic Southern detective brought to life by Daniel Craig is returning for a third chapter of Knives Out. Titled Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the film was announced in May 2024 by Netflix and is headed to our screens later this year.

Here’s everything we know about the next installation of the mystery franchise so far.

Director and writer Rian Johnson wrote on X, formerly called Twitter, “I love everything about whodunnits, but one of the things I love most is how malleable the genre is. There’s a whole tonal spectrum from Carr to Christie, and getting to explore that range is one of the most exciting things about making Benoit Blanc movies.”

So, safe to assume it will be another mystery. In 2019’s Knives Out, Blanc was investigating the death of best-selling author Harlan Thrombey, played by Christopher Plummer. In Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, he went to to a Greek island owned by tech billionaire Miles Bron, played by Edward Norton, and ended up blowing up the place.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Johnson implied Blanc may be the heart of the movie, but it won’t really be about him.

“It’s a weird thing with these movies because the detective is at the heart of it, but the detective is never the protagonist of the movie,” Johnson said.

Daniel Craig will reprise his role of Benoit Blanc, and he’ll once again be joined by a slew of big names. Challengers star Josh O’Connor, Priscilla’s Cailee Spaeny, and Fleabag star Andrew Scott are in the cast so far, according to Variety. Kerry Washington, Glenn Close, Jeremy Renner (in his first film since his snow mobile accident), and Mila Kunis are also set to star, per Variety. The Hollywood Reporter also announced that Dune: Part Two star Josh Brolin has joined the cast of Knives Out 3. Daryl McCormack and Thomas Haden Church are also in the ensemble. No details about their roles are available yet.

We might see more of Hugh Grant, who made a cameo as Blanc’s partner, or any of the other characters who managed to survive the first two films. But we’re still waiting for confirmation.

The third film is set to hit Netflix on December 12. Production began in June 2024, according to Deadline. The Hollywood Reporter also confirmed the estimated start of production.

When announcing the new movie, Johnson shared a teaser for the film that ended with a casket. The mystery: Who is inside it?

Netflix also shared the first still from the film on January 30, featuring Josh O’Connor opposite Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc (above).

In May 2025, they shared a teaser when announcing the film’s release date.

Good news: Production has officially begun. On June 10, 2024, Johnson tweeted, “Aaaaand we’re off! Today is day 1 of shooting on the next Benoit Blanc mystery Wake Up Dead Man—see you on the other side.” He also shared a first look at Daniel Craig returning as Benoit Blanc. In the black-and-white photo, the actor dressed in a three-piece suit and tie, carried a hat, and, most importantly, sported a new long hairdo.

This story will be updated.