In 2019 fans and critics alike were enthralled by the murder mystery and comedy hybrid film better known as Knives Out. Directed by Rian Johnson and seemingly inspired by the classic board game Clue, the story of a man found dead in his own home under peculiar circumstances and the investigation that follows scored a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with the help of a star-studded cast featuring the likes of Chris Evans and Ana de Armas. Nearly two years later some fans are still trying to wrap their head around the countless twists and turns the film makes by the time it ends, only further serving to heighten intrigue in the eccentric story. Now those fans will get another chance to try and keep up as Netflix is reportedly in pre-production on the 2019 film’s sequel Knives Out 2, enlisting the help of some new Hollywood talent to start.
The first film followed private detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, as he investigates the death of Harlan Thrombey, a wealthy novelist found dead in his mansion after seemingly taking his own life played by Christopher Plummer. After digging a little deeper however you quickly realize that things aren’t always as they seem, following Craig as he investigates disgruntled family members and former employees in search of the truth and trying to not get lost along the way. Fans can be happy to know that Daniel Craig has already signed up to reprise the role of Blanc and solve another outlandish mystery in the upcoming sequel, however the details of said mystery and the film’s plot have yet to be announced. What has been announced however is two new faces who will join Craig along his investigation as members of his supporting cast: Hollywood veteran Edward Norton and former WWE Wrestler Dave Bautista. The project is set to begin filming in Greece this summer with more details to release in the near future as production ramps up.
In March Netflix paid a hefty $400 million for the rights to the next two installments of Knives Out, betting big on what they seemingly believed to be a budding film franchise. They also probably believe in the vision of Rian Johnson, best known for directing films like Looper and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, who had also already agreed to direct the upcoming projects and captivate fans with another mystery. The first film definitely paid off when it grossed $300 million worldwide on a budget of just $40 million back in 2019, highlighting why Netflix was so confident in shelling out as much as they did. While we wait to see if their bet pays off and if Knives Out 2 can live up to its predecessor, fans can remain on the lookout for new details about the film in the coming weeks.
