Rian Johnson is back with another mystery, and this time, Benoit Blanc’s latest case takes a darker turn in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. So, while speaking with Netflix about the upcoming third film, Johnson revealed the fresh inspiration behind it. And turns out, the filmmaker has drawn from two classic traditions in detective fiction: the “locked-room” mystery and the church-centered clerical tale.
[Agatha] Christie’s Murder at the Vicarage is a classic, but my biggest influence for this film was G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown mysteries. Themes of guilt, mystery, morality, and fallible humanity all feel right at home in a church, with a man of God at the center of the mix.
The director credited John Dickson Carr for shaping the puzzle-like structure of Wake Up Dead Man. At the same time, Rian Johnson also credited G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown mysteries and Agatha Christie’s Murder at the Vicarage for inspiring the moral and spiritual themes that frame the story. With these influences, Wake Up Dead Man promises to be an intriguing installment in Johnson’s whodunit series.
The table contains basic details on Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Story:
| Movie | Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Story |
| Director | Rian Johnson |
| Cast | Daniel Craig, Mila Kunis, Josh O’Connor, Jeremy Renner, Andrew Scott |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score (so far) | 96% |
| Runtime | 2 hour 21 minutes |
Mila Kunis Shares Her Experience of Working With Daniel Craig
Mila Kunis has joined the cast of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery as the local police chief who works alongside Benoit Blanc to solve a murder case. And so, while speaking with People
While she had previously worked with Daniel Craig’s wife, Rachel Weisz, during Oz the Great and Powerful in 2013, this was her first time sharing the screen with Craig himself. Kunis admitted she had no idea what working with him would be like, but felt reassured by knowing how kind and genuine Weisz had been.
I had the pleasure of working with his wife. She was such a wonderful human that I was like, ‘There’s no way that [Daniel] won’t be a wonderful person to work with’.
This could go either which way. This is going to be a really lovely production, or we’re going to be in our own [bubbles, and] it’s going to be fine… I would say within the first two hours, Daniel set the greatest tone for not only the cast, but also the crew.
Her first two weeks of filming were spent almost entirely alongside Daniel Craig, since their characters’ storylines are closely linked in the film. That meant she had to quickly find her rhythm with the actor who plays the lead detective. Fortunately, Craig set a welcoming tone from the very first day.
So, within hours, Mila Kunis realized this was going to be a smooth and enjoyable experience. Therefore, she praised Craig for leading the cast and crew with respect and warmth, describing the atmosphere on set as collaborative and uplifting. She also gave credit to director Rian Johnson for maintaining the same positive energy.
Rian Johnson’s Third Mystery is Set for Netflix Debut on December 12
Meanwhile, after solving crimes in a New England mansion and a sun-soaked Greek island, Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc for his most chilling case yet in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. This time, the detective finds himself in upstate New York, where the story takes place in a small-town church.
The setting adds a darker and more intimate feel compared to the flashy locations of the earlier films. However, despite a change in location, Blanc’s sharp mind will still be tested when a baffling murder disrupts the tight-knit parish community. The church is filled with intriguing characters, each of whom could hold secrets tied to the crime.
From a devoted priest played by Josh O’Connor to a powerful monsignor portrayed by Josh Brolin, the cast also features Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Jeremy Renner, Andrew Scott, and Cailee Spaeny, among others. Mila Kunis appears as the police chief who works alongside Blanc to untangle the impossible case.
Wake Up Dead Man has already premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. And now, after special screenings in select theaters beginning November 26, the film will officially premiere on Netflix on December 12. Until then, check out the previous two sequels, if you haven’t already.
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Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will stream on Netflix from December 12, 2025.
