Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Knives Out 2

  • Rian Johnson Doesn’t Want to Stop Making Benoit Blanc Movies

    Rian Johnson Doesn’t Want to Stop Making Benoit Blanc Movies

    One of cinema’s most delightful surprises in the last few years was Rian Johnson’s Knives Out. The cozy, star-studded whodunnit was a massive hit with critics and audiences alike, who praised its clever nature and over-the-top performances. Crafted in the style of an Agatha Christie novel, Johnson has said before that he intends to continue writing mysteries for lead detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, to solve with his charming southern drawl. The first step in expanding Blanc’s legacy will be this year’s Glass Onion, the first sequel to Knives Out and the second Blanc case to hit screens.

    The real question, however, is just how many Blanc movies Johnson is willing to make. Filmmaking is a little more labor intensive than writing a novel, and it wouldn’t be unrealistic for the acclaimed director to backtrack on previous sentiments after spending the last several years with the same character. Luckily for fans, there’s apparently no need to worry just yet. During a recent Q&A for those in attendance at the Toronto International Film Festival, Johnson reconfirmed his plans to make as many Blanc films as humanly possible while he’s still a working man.

    Asked if there will be more Blanc adventures, the creative responded:

    I’m going to keep making these until Daniel blocks me on his phone.

    Rian Johnson

    This seemingly translates to something along the lines of, “I will never stop doing this.” Which, by all accounts, should be fine by the first film’s many fans. After all, Blanc was heavily inspired by Christie’s detective Hercule Poirot, and that character has appeared in 33 novels and over 50 short stories. Johnson better get busy if he hopes to match that in this lifetime.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ Characters Revealed

    ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ Characters Revealed

    It’s the moment every Knives Out fan has been waiting for. After an auspiciously long wait, Empire Magazine has finally revealed the identities of the sequel’s many characters. The star-studded project has been the subject of much speculation since the full cast began to become public over the last couple years. Now, audiences will be able to put fictional names to all the very real faces occupying Rian Johnson‘s next Benoit Blanc mystery. Of course, Daniel Craig will be back as the now-iconic Southern detective who has become the centerpiece of the Knives Out franchise. As for the rest, that’s where things get a little more unfamiliar.

    Titled Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, the second Blanc adventure concerns a group of old acquaintances who are summoned to Greece by a rich mutual friend for a murder-mystery game that becomes a little too real. Starring in the film will be Kathryn Hahn, who is set to portray Governor Claire Debella, a Connecticut politician who is now running for the Senate. According to director Johnson, she “pisses everyone off, and is trying to thread the needle in many different ways, in terms of her public persona and what she’s willing to compromise in order to stay in office“. Next is Kate Hudson as Birdie Jay, a fashionista, and Iron Fist star Jessica Henwick as Peg, her assistant. Not much else was said about this duo, but it’s safe to assume the talent involved in their dynamic will be a joy to watch.

    Edward Norton is set to play Miles Bron, a billionaire tech disruptor. Johnson spoke about Bron candidly, saying “the species that [Miles] is derived from will be instantly recognizable to a lot of people in our era of tech billionaires“. Leslie Odom Jr. will bring to life Lionel Toussaint, a scientist who works for Bron. As for Dave Bautista, he’ll play against type as a popular YouTuber named Duke Cody, while Madelyn Cline portrays Whiskey, his girlfriend and assistant. Finally, Janelle Monáe will be seen as Cassandra ‘Andi’ Brand, a tech entrepreneur.

    Ethan Hawke is confirmed to have a role in the film, though his character is the only one that remains unknown to viewers. It’s possible that Hawke is the rich mutual friend who brings everyone else together in the first place, or the one that bites it early in the plot, but that remains to be seen. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will stream exclusively on Netflix starting December 23rd.

    Source: Empire

  • ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ Set to Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival

    ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ Set to Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival

    The highly anticipated Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has just added one more reason to be excited about the event. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is slated to have its world premiere at TIFF. The event is scheduled to run in full form after the pandemic forced it to a smaller scale affair last year from September 8 through September 18. However, it is unknown at this time which specific date the film will be showcased. This release will follow the precedent established with the first Knives Out, which debuted at the 2019 version of TIFF.

    With the world premiere date for the sequel being slated for the Toronto International Film Festival, the assumption could be made that Glass Onion will follow suit with the original Knives Out and have its official release on Netflix in mid-November of this year. This would in theory be in line with the announcement of the “holiday season” release for the film with the title reveal teaser.

    The news of the official premiere date will be exciting for fans as more information about the sequel project has been released. The title of Glass Onion came out earlier this month along with writer and director Rian Johnson explaining that this film (and any other future installments in the franchise) will be a different type of variation on the mystery genre, much like the classic stories by Agatha Christie.

    Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is written and directed by Rian Johnson, who also helmed the original film in the franchise. The film will see the return of Daniel Craig into the role of detective Benoit Blanc as he solves a new mystery with a new ensemble of characters around him. The all-star supporting cast for the project consists of the likes of Edward Norton, Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr, Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista. It will certainly be interesting to continue to learn more about what this highly anticipated film has in store in the coming months before its release.

    Source: Variety

  • Netflix Exploring a 45-Day Theatrical Release of ‘Knives Out 2’

    Netflix Exploring a 45-Day Theatrical Release of ‘Knives Out 2’

    It was only a question of time, but it looks like Netflix is opening up its streaming-focused business model to also explore a cinematic release. While they’ve released films in the past, they are now considering a 45-day release window, starting with Knives Out 2. There’s been a lot of back and forth by the streaming service, but the recent scare after they’ve dropped in subscriber count for the first time has pushed them to try out new ventures.

    As of now, Rian Johnson‘s Knives Out 2 and the Alejandro González Iñárritu‘s Bardo are being considered. The former makes a lot of sense considering it pulled in $165M in the United States as well as $311M worldwide back in 2019 with a production budget of $40M. The move to purchase any sequels for $400M was quite the move and with the recent scare, its box office draw makes sense.

    Yet, there are going to be some issues with this move if they don’t play their cards right. Netflix’s usual bare-minimum marketing strategy won’t pull in the general audience to check out a film, as they may have forgotten it weeks after seeing the initial trailer. Plus, there’s also the fact that while it provides a new revenue stream, there might be some concerns due to moving away from its digital users to embrace a whole new target audience.

    They have released Don’t Look Up and The Power of Dog for two weeks in theaters, but the new 45-day window is becoming the staple for theatrical and streaming hybrid models. The only question will be if Netflix can pull this new model off and start a strong focus to ensure it reaches

    Source: Business Insider

  • Ethan Hawke’s Role in ‘Knives Out 2’ is Just a Cameo

    Ethan Hawke’s Role in ‘Knives Out 2’ is Just a Cameo

    Ethan Hawke has been quite busy as of late. Comic fans are excited to find out what his mysterious role might turn out to be in the upcoming Disney+ series Moon Knight. But that isn’t all he is working on, as he was also spotted on the set of Knives Out 2. It’s unclear what exactly his role is going to be, but there were many theories on what role he might potentially have. Turns out, he’s not really in the film that much according to his latest interview with ScreenRant. In it, he stated that:

    Knives Out 2, I just have a cameo in that movie. Don’t expect much from me

    So, it does open a curious question of what exactly a cameo would entail in a murder mystery. In a way, he may be the sequel’s victim that brings Daniel Craig’s, Detective Benoit Blanc, to join the unlikely party to uncover what exactly happened. Christopher Plummer took on the role of victim in the first film, where he had a minor role outside of the opening and a few flashbacks. So, he might have a similar role in the film.

    Yet, there’s also the chance that he really has nothing more than a brief cameo before he disappears. Perhaps his character might set up a third entry that is already in development as part of Netflix’s multi-million deal. It’s uncertain if director Rian Johnson wants to take a “cinematic universe” approach with the project, or will keep individual projects as a separate storyline with only Blanc acting as the connective tissue. Only the film’s release will give us a clear indication of where this new franchise is heading.

    Source: ScreenRant

  • Leaked ‘Knives Out 2’ Set Photo Offers First Look at Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc

    Leaked ‘Knives Out 2’ Set Photo Offers First Look at Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc

    It looks like the first set photo has already found its way online from the sequel of Knives Out. Director Rian Johnson revealed yesterday that they started production in Greece showcasing the beautiful shores where they are filming. We only got a tease of the camera that is in use, but nothing on what the all-star cast will be wearing. Luckily, Twitter user @SuperYakiShop shared an image from the set that offers a first glimpse at Daniel Craig‘s returning Benoit Blanc, who is rocking a very different style from the previous film.

    https://twitter.com/SuperYakiShop/status/1409580474083721224

    It seems that the hashtag BenoistWatch was born to keep a close eye on his activities on the film’s set. If the first photo of Craig has found its way online, we might see others follow suit. The film has already built up quite a stacked cast that includes Kate Hudson, Leslie Odom Jr., Kathryn Hahn, Janelle Monae, Edward Norton, and Dave Bautista. Not much is known about the story outside and it’s uncertain if Greece will be used as a stand-in for another location or Blanc truly can’t escape murder even during his vacation.

    The Knives Out sequel is an ambitious project. About three months ago, Netflix purchased the franchise for a whopping $400M+. The deal includes the currently filming sequel and a third entry. It’s uncertain if there are plans to expand the franchise beyond a trilogy, but considering the first film made $300M off of a very modest $40M budget, it seems unlikely that Johnson would drop the successful franchise anytime soon. Especially considering he made what is the largest deal in streaming history, which started with a bidding war between Netflix, Apple, and Amazon. It looks like poor Benoist Blanc won’t get a break anytime soon.

    Source: Twitter (Production Start), Twitter (Set Photos)