"Knives Out 3" — aka "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery" — is set to reunite us with Daniel Craig's Southern super-sleuth for what's sure to be another Netflix mystery movie.
We're big fans of the "Knives Out" franchise at Tom's Guide: In our "Glass Onion" review, we called the previous installment "one of the best Netflix movies ever," so it should come as no surprise that we're looking forward to the next chapter, too.
Info on "Wake Up Dead Man" had dried up for a while, but we've finally started to learn more about Benoit Blanc's next case in recent months.
In the run-up to Tudum 2025, Netflix started sharing some cryptic teasers, and then the event saw a date announcement trailer confirming a December 2025 Netflix release, character names, and more.
Here's everything we know about "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery" right now.
'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery' release date speculation
As of our latest update, we finally have a Netflix release date for "Wake Up Dead Man": December 12, 2025.
That release date was confirmed (via Roman numerals) in a date announcement teaser shared at Tudum 2025.
We've embedded it further below in this article (as it also includes character and plot info we'll be chatting about), but you can watch the teaser on Netflix's YouTube channel.
If you can't wait that long to see "Wake Up Dead Man", you'll need to head to the UK for the London Film Festival 2025, which runs October 8-19.
The British Film Institute (BFI) confirmed on July 9 that the movie's international premiere would take place at LFF 2025 as the year's Opening Night Gala showing.
That also may leave room for "Wake Up Dead Man" to get a big-screen run. The preceding mystery movie, "Glass Onion," did get a brief theatrical run before it was made available to stream at home, and it's possible that "Wake Up Dead Man" could follow this same pattern.
It's certainly a release pattern that lead star Daniel Craig wants "Wake Up Dead Man" to follow. He made headlines after calling on Netflix to give "Knives Out 3" a big theatrical run: he said as much in a November 2024 interview with Variety.
"You know I do", Craig said when asked if the movie should be there longer than one week. "Hopefully, Netflix will push it a bit, and people will get to see it. The people I speak to — the fans, I suppose — all they want to do is take their families and go see it at the cinemas. That's all they want to do. Hopefully, we can give them that experience".
Whether the streamer follows through on his request remains to be seen. In the meantime, check out our list of the 7 best movies like "Knives Out" and "Glass Onion" for more mysteries to keep you entertained in the run-up to "Knives Out 3."
Production on the movie officially began on June 10, 2024, as confirmed by Rian Johnson.
Alongside this announcement, we got our very first look at Daniel Craig in costume as Benoit Blanc. This stylish shot shows Benoit Blanc sporting a new hairdo.
Thanks to another post on social media, we learned that filming on the project wrapped back in August 2024. Rian Johnson confirmed the news on Instagram, with a black-and-white snap of a sign in a graveyard and a short comment that reads: "Aaaaaand that’s a wrap on "Wake Up Dead Man".
"Thank you to the best crew in the world and the most brilliant cast. This shoot was a VERY special experience, I cannot wait to put this thing together and show you all what we’ve got."
'Knives Out 3' cast: Who will star in 'Wake Up Dead Man'?
The last two "Knives Out" movies have boasted some truly killer ensembles, and it looks like "Wake Up Dead Man" will be no different.
Naturally, you can't have a new "Knives Out" mystery without Benoit Blanc, and we already know that former 007 Daniel Craig will be back in action to solve the next murder, whoever the target[s] may be.
Since the movie's title was revealed, there was a steady stream of casting announcements that confirmed Craig will be joined by another set of stars.
The new "Knives Out" ensemble already includes several big names, including "Dune Part 2" star Josh Brolin, screen legend Glenn Close, "Challengers" actor Josh O'Connor, and many more.
For the longesttime, we knew nothing about their roles, but the Date Announcement teaser confirmed the characters' names. Here's the confirmed "Knives Out 3" cast list:
- Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc
- Josh Brolin as Monsignor Jefferson Wicks
- Thomas Haden Church as Samson Holt
- Glenn Close as Martha Delacroix
- Josh O'Connor as Rev. Jud Duplenticy
- Mila Kunis as Geraldine Scott
- Daryl McCormack as Cy Draven
- Jeremy Renner as Dr. Nat Sharp
- Andrew Scott as Lee Ross
- Cailee Spaeny as Simone Vivane
- Kerry Washington as Vera Draven
One actor we know won't be appearing in the movie is "Venom: The Last Dance" star, Tom Hardy. Although there were rumors that claimed he'd joined the cast earlier in the year, Hardy put them to bed while speaking to ET Online.
"Nobody's called me about this", Hardy said. "This came out in the Google machine this morning, even I was like, 'What's this?' Someone's gotta ask me. Sounds cool, but no one' asked me. That's showbiz, right? Maybe I am in it!"
'Wake Up Dead Man' plot — what could happen in 'Knives Out 3?'
Given that the "Knives Out" movies have all been murder-mystery movies, we know precious little about the mystery of "Wake Up Dead Man", and that doesn't seem likely to change anytime soon.
All we really knew for the longest time came from the title announcement video (embedded below), wherein Craig's master detective proclaims this new investigation "my most dangerous case yet."
Since then, we've had the date announcement trailer, which gave us a few quick looks at the movie in action: another murder is afoot, Josh O'Connor's wielding a knife, and Blanc's committed to cracking the case.
Whatever happens in "Knives Out 3", director Rian Johnson has hinted this third 'whodunnit' will feel a bit different from its predecessors, which again makes us think this threequel could well end up being a bit darker. On Twitter (X), he stated that getting to explore the genre's 'tonal spectrum' is, in his words, 'one of the most exciting things about making Benoit Blanc movies'
Is there a 'Knives Out 3' trailer yet?
Yes! We finally got our first real look at the film back in that "Date Announcement" teaser I've mentioned a couple of times already.
The main attraction there was the release date (listed above), but it also included a cast list, and sets a moodier, gothic vibe for the movie to come. There's chatter of a miracle, but Benoit Blanc is committed to solving the murder.
At the end of May 2025, Netflix shared some cryptic teasers for the new movie. All they really do is sell that spookier vibe for the movie... but fans believed they hold a deeper significance.
"The devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." pic.twitter.com/WyrQJJuCHyMay 29, 2025
"The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers, but the root of the righteous endures." pic.twitter.com/EYTtLlcYUXMay 28, 2025
Both of the quotes featured are Bible passages, and if you look the passages up, you'll find a clue that was (correctly) theorized as a potential release date.
Both are quotations from verse 12, chapter 12 of either the Book of Revelations or Proverbs... pointing would-be "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery" streamers to a December 12, 2025 release.
Prior to that, all we had to work with for the longest time was the title reveal trailer, found here:
Will there be more 'Knives Out' movies?
Netflix only ordered two sequels, but it's clear that Johnson and Craig are keen to make more "Knives Out" sequels.
Before the release of "Glass Onion", Daniel Craig told Variety that he'd happily keep coming back as Benoit Blanc.
"If he keeps writing them, I'll keep doing them", Craig said at the time, gesturing to Rian Johnson. "That's what makes it easy then, he's such a wonderful writer that it's there on the page for me to do."
Luckily, Johnson feels the same: speaking at the sequel's premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, the director said: "I'm going to keep making these until Daniel [Craig] blocks me on his phone".
In short, as long as Rian Johnson's got another idea, it's certainly sounding like we'll get another Benoit Blanc mystery after "Knives Out 3". Watch this space.
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