‘Knives Out’ Director Rian Johnson Says He’s Taking Break From Netflix Franchise To Write Original Script

Rian Johnson has revealed that he plans to take a break from Knives Out, but remains “energized” about returning to the Netflix murder mystery franchise in the future.

Speaking at Deadline’s Contenders London on Saturday, Johnson said he was working on an original script that will take him away from the world of detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig.

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He appeared on stage alongside actor Josh O’Connor and producer Ram Bergman to promote Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the third instalment in the series.

“I’m writing right now, [but] it’s not one of these [Knives Out] films. It’s just something completely different, an original thing,” Johnson explained. “I actually feel very energized after making this one [Wake Up Dead Man], but this is three in a row. It’s probably healthy to see other people.”

Johnson did not reveal further details about his original project or whether it will be housed with Netflix. He signed a lucrative two-film deal with the streamer on the Knives Out franchise following the success of the original 2019 feature.

During the Contenders London event, Johnson said Wake Up Dead Man is closer to an Agatha Christie mystery than previous films.

“The reality of this movie, it has almost like a more traditional murder mystery structure,” he said. “This is how most Agatha Christie books work, where in the first act you meet all the suspects, you meet the protagonist, who’s not the detective. Then the murder happens, and the detective shows up.”

Blanc is facing a darker mystery than in films past, with religious intrigue centered around its protagonist, played by O’Connor, and with gothic elements inspired by the classic works of Edgar Allen Poe. O’Connor stars as Jud Duplencity, a priest sent to a remote outpost in Upstate New York, who becomes a kind of sidekick to Blanc in solving the mystery.

O’Connor told Contenders London that it was a joy to work with Craig, revealing that the James Bond star is “so willing to give his skill away” as an actor. O’Connor joked, however, that Craig has “goofball” qualities and is “incredibly cheeky” on set.

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