Coming as both a shock and a no-brainer, Knives Out writer and director Rian Johnson has confirmed that he has plans for his murder mystery universe beyond this year’s film, possibly centering around a certain Southern super-sleuth.
Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc, the debonair detective hired to investigate Knives Out‘s bizarre murder at the film’s center, would be our bridge into a new film, with Johnson alluding to The Hollywood Reporter that he was at work on the follow-up. Producer Ram Bergman mentioned Craig “wants to do more,” having enjoyed the production so much.
With Craig as well as co-star Ana de Armas up for awards at tonight’s Golden Globes, and the film nominated for Best Picture in the Musical/Comedy category, the general consensus is that Knives Out is a bonafide hit. Our own Sian Francis Cox was a fan back at the London Film Festival.
Besides its critical success, Knives Out has proven to be remarkably profitable for Lionsgate, raking in a quarter of a billion dollars on its $40 million budget, with a huge Thanksgiving push to get its box office momentum started.
Though the potential sequel remains in the earliest stages of development, and isn’t yet greenlit, Lionsgate chairman Joe Drake said to The Hollywood Reporter that he’s “eager to read a script.” Perhaps it’s just a matter of time for those knives to come back out.
‘Knives Out’ Sequel in the Works, Story to Center on Daniel Craig’s Detective Character [The Hollywood Reporter]
