You do not have to be Benoit Blanc to figure out that Knives Out was an immediate success in when it hit theaters in 2019. The quirky humor, sharp edits, and the powerhouse cast in this murder mystery led to critical acclaim, box office success, and awards recognition (including an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay). Benoit Blanc’s (Daniel Craig) “Who killed who” investigation at the Thrombey mansion following the unprecedented death of crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) was an instant attention grabber. And now Netflix has decided to gift us with a sequel that carries high hopes that it will be just as big as its predecessor.
Before Knives Out received all the buzz, writer / director Rian Johnson was already eager to make other stories led by Craig’s instantly iconic detective Benoit Blanc. Gladly, Johnson was able to carry on with his vision in the upcoming film. Even though Knives Out 2 is still in the early stages of production, we already know some exciting details about the Netflix sequel.
Here is everything we know so far about the release date, new and returning cast members, as well as the future of this potential saga.
Editor’s Note: This piece was last updated on June 20 to add the latest filming details and the official title.
Does Knives Out 2 Have a Release Date?
Although we are not sure about a specific release date yet, Knives Out 2 might be out on Netflix sometime in the Fall of 2022. Let us keep our fingers crossed that there won’t be any future change of plans. After all, the production has finally wrapped after it was delayed due to COVID-19.
Rian Johnson has announced that the sequel will be called Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. The name takes inspiration from the 1968 Beatles song of the same name.
Is Knives Out 2 a Direct Sequel?
Despite the fact that many Hollywood favorites were scene stealers in Knives Out (it was so great to see Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, and more all together in the same feature film), Rian Johnson has confirmed that the sequel will have an entirely different narrative. In an interview with SiriusXM in February of last year, the director made an analogy to author. Agatha Christie when explaining that not every murder mystery happens with the same scenario. He said that he would love to explore the genre with different characters, a new location, and another dynamic.
As mentioned before, most of the cast members in the first film will not return for Knives Out 2. If they do make an appearance, it would be in a surprise cameo. Jamie Lee Curtis, who played the role of Linda Drysdale, even cleared the air about the Thrombey family returning to the screen with an Instagram post that alludes to them spending some time in therapy and far away from Benoit Blanc. Speaking of detective Benoit Blanc, the character is leading the cast of Knives Out 2 as he investigates another mystery. Netflix acquired the rights to the next franchise installment for over $ 450 million, and part of the deal was to keep Daniel Craig involved in the project.
Alongside the 007 alum, there will be new actors joining the cast for Knives Out 2 and many of them are just as stellar as the renowned ensemble in the previous film. Kate Hudsonpopularly known for her role in Almost Famous, will be part of the sequel. A couple of other confirmed names are One Night in Miami‘s Leslie Odom Jr., Edward Norton (Fight Club), Dave Bautista (Army of the Dead), Janelle Monae (Hidden Figures), Kathryn Hahn (WandaVision), Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks), Jessica Henwick (Game of Thrones), and Ethan Hawke (Before Sunrise).
Even though we are unsure about the characters that they will portray, Leslie Odom Jr. hinted that the sequel will be better than the first movie and that fans will surely be surprised. He even pointed out that everyone could be a potential suspect, so as with the first Knives Out movie this one will keep us guessing.
Another cast member who shared his take on the next Knives Out movie was Dave Bautista. The actor, who previously worked alongside Daniel Craig in Specter, has revealed in an interview with Slash Film that he is nervous about joining the team. Some set photos of Dave Bautista and Madelyn Cline on a motorbike have surfaced on the internet, which might indicate that there could be some action scenes. Kate Hudson and Ethan Hawke have also been spotted on set under the Greek sun.
When and Where Is Knives Out 2 Filming?
According to Rian Johnson’s tweet, the Knives Out 2 Production began on July 28 and was shot in Greece. Some of the pictures from the set that were released online were taken on the island of Spetches.
Filming in Greece wrapped in July 2021 and production officially ended in September of the same year.
Is There a Knives Out 2 Trailer?
Since there isn’t a release date for the sequel, we can only imagine that the trailer will come out sometime in advance in 2022, if there are no delays. When the Knives Out 2 trailer is released, we will add it here to this page as soon as possible.
What Is the Plot of Knives Out 2?
In the same way that the characters in the sequel remain a mystery to the public eye in the time being, the plot for the sequel is equally unknown. What we do know is that Rian Johnson mentioned “multiple murders” on the same post he shared on Twitter during day 1 on set, so that might indicate that there will be a lot happening in Knives Out 2.
Will There Be a Knives Out 3?
Normally, we do not receive the good news prior to the release of the first sequel, but Netflix is full of surprises. The $ 450 million contract that they signed with Rian Johnson includes both Knives Out 2 and Knives Out 3, for which Johnson will once again write the script and direct. Daniel Craig will also return for Knives Out 3although the second sequel is a separate production and is not being filmed back-to-back with Knives Out 2. So we’ll have a bit of a wait for the third Knives Out movie.