The Southern sleuth is back — and this time, it’s personal… and possibly fatal. Netflix has officially announced that Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the third installment in Rian Johnson’s hit murder mystery franchise, will premiere December 12, 2025.
The release date and first teaser dropped at Netflix Tudum 2025, giving fans a glimpse at Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc, a fresh lineup of suspicious characters, and a darker tone than ever before.
“This is the most dangerous case of my career,” Blanc mutters in voiceover — and we believe him.
What’s It About?
Plot details are, naturally, under a tight lock and coffin lid. However, the teaser opens with ominous imagery and a coffin that may be more metaphorical than literal. Set in an as-yet-unrevealed location, Blanc once again finds himself unraveling a brand-new whodunit — one that promises higher stakes and murkier motives than ever before. “There’s a whole tonal spectrum from Carr to Christie,” Johnson said, “and I love exploring all of it.” Watch the trailer below:
Who’s Joining the Dinner Party?
Johnson’s casting continues to be a cinematic tasting menu. This time around, it’s an ensemble to kill for:
- Daniel Craig – the ever-dapper, ever-sharp Blanc
- Josh O’Connor – first look shows him sharing screen time with Craig
- Glenn Close
- Josh Brolin
- Mila Kunis
- Jeremy Renner (this time, in person — not just as a hot sauce bottle)
- Kerry Washington
- Andrew Scott
- Cailee Spaeny
- Daryl McCormack
- Thomas Haden Church
“They’re not just great actors,” says Johnson. “They’re all lovely people — which matters when you’re throwing a cinematic dinner party like this.”
Like Knives Out (named for a Radiohead song) and Glass Onion (from The Beatles), this title nods to music — specifically a 1997 U2 track from their Pop album. But Johnson also credits old American folk music with planting the seed: “It’s a phrase that’s stuck with me. Melancholy. Lyrical. Deadly.”
Shot in London, the production wrapped in Summer 2024, continuing the globetrotting nature of the series — from New England (Knives Out), to Greece (Glass Onion), to whatever moody locale awaits this time around.
Set your clocks. Lock your doors. And prep your suspects.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery lands December 12 — only on Netflix.
The Geek is a working screenwriter, director and screenwriting instructor.
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