In March 2021, Netflix acquired rights to Rian Johnson's Knives Out IP for future installments. The streaming giant reportedly paid around $450 million for two sequels to 2019's hit murder-mystery Knives Out.
Johnson made the first film of the installment on a tight budget of $40 million. It was produced by MRC (Media Rights Capital) and distributed by Lionsgate. Knives Out 2019 made over $311 million worldwide.
The 2019 film also garnered a nomination from the Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay Oscar for Rian Johnson. Like the previous film, the Knives Out sequel will have Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc in the lead.
When will 'Knives Out 2' be released?
According to multiple sources, the film is slated for a 2022 release.
Last month, Rian Johnson took to his Twitter account to share that the sequel's production had wrapped up. This could insinuate that the film could be released on Netflix in the first quarter of 2022.
Like recent big-budget Netflix releases, Knives Out's sequel may be getting a brief theatrical release before coming to Netflix's platform for free.
More details about the 'Knives Out' sequel
However, the upcoming movie will also have a new ensemble cast. Furthermore, in a recent interview with SiriusXM, Rian Johnson revealed that the sequels will have different narratives and titles.
Rian said:
"In my mind, I don't even think of it in terms of like a sequel… Ever since we started working on this I was like, look, if we can keep this going, the same way Agatha Christie wrote a bunch of Poirot novels. I mean, do that with Blanc and keep making more mysteries. Whole new cast, whole new location, whole new mystery."
Moreover, while promoting his last Bond film No Time To Die, Daniel Craig said:
"[ Knives Out 2] is different, and that's the amazing thing. It's still a Benoit Blanc mystery, but it's very different."
Cast of the sequel
The upcoming sequel will have an all-new supporting cast accompanying Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc. While some fans speculated that the Thromby family would be joining the cast again, actress Jamie Lee Curtis (who portrayed Linda Drysdale) refuted the rumors.
In April, Curtis tweeted:
"To clear up any rumors, the Thromby family is in family counseling and the therapist suggested they stay away from Benoit Blanc in the future."
However, some followers took this development with a grain of salt as the tweet was made on April 1.
In addition to Daniel Craig, the new ensemble cast will include Ethan Hawke, Leslie Odom Jr., Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Madelyn Cline, and Edward Norton. Meanwhile, Jessica Henwick, Kate Hudson, and Janelle Monáe, amongst others.
The sequel was reportedly in production on Spetse Island, Greece, until September.