The development of Knives Out 3 is underway. Titled ‘Wake Up Dead Man’, the upcoming threequel will reunite Daniel Craig with franchise creator and director Rian Johnson. As the third film approaches, a new report from Puck News reveals that both Craig and Johnson are dissatisfied with Netflix’s decision to give Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery a limited theatrical release and the franchise’s uncertain theatrical future.
The first Knives Out film (2019) was a major box office success, earning over $310 million globally against a $40 million budget. Beyond its strong box office performance, the film received acclaim from both viewers and critics. This success led Netflix to acquire the rights for two more sequels in the series, including Wake Up Dead Man, which is also part of that deal.
According to Puck News, both Craig and Johnson were displeased with Glass Onion’s one-week limited theatrical release. Audience and critic reactions to the sequel were largely positive, and it could have been a box office hit, potentially surpassing the collections of its 2019 predecessor if it had received a proper theatrical run. Instead, the sequel was shown for only one week, in just 600 theaters across the US from November 23-29, along with a limited global release. As a result, Glass Onion earned only $15 million from its brief time in theaters.
As a strong advocate for theatrical distribution, Johnson has urged Netflix to consider releasing films in theaters. He even teamed up with a group of renowned directors to purchase the Westwood Village Theatre in LA, hoping that Glass Onion would receive a rare, wider theatrical release from Netflix.
It is still too soon to determine what will happen with Wake Up Dead Man given the ongoing disagreements between Johnson and Netflix executives. The streamer only has rights to Glass Onion and Wake Up Dead Man, which means future Knives Out entries from Craig and Johnson might secure wider theatrical releases. Stay tuned for more updates.