‘Knives Out 3’: Release Date Speculation, Cast, News, And More

Following the successes of the first two movies, it’s no surprise that Knives Out 3 is in the works. The modern murder mystery franchise, paired with a star-studded ensemble cast, left fans wondering about who and what’s next for Benoit Blanc after the second film.

With director Rian Johnson keeping mum on the details of the third movie, fans can only wait and see what happens. But, some details have surfaced. Here’s what we know so far about Knives Out 3.

Knives Out 3 in the Works

There’s no need to wonder if there will be a Knives Out 3. As part of the deal between Netflix and director Rian Johnson, it guaranteed at least two more sequels. The streaming platform bought the rights to Knives Out 2 (now known as Glass Onion) and Knives Out 3 in March 2021. Johnson and Daniel Craig, who plays Benoit Blanc, have also said they’re open to doing more sequels.

In October 2023, Johnson confirmed that he had resumed working on the script for Knives Out 3. This follows the WGA strike, which was resolved in September 2023.

“It’s coming along. I obviously couldn’t work during the strike, and now that it’s over, I’m diving in full force and so it’s coming along,” Johnson told The Wrap at the time. “I’ve got the premise, I’ve got the setting, I’ve got what the movie is in my head. It’s just a matter of writing the damn thing.”

Like the first two films, Johnson will write and direct Knives Out 3. His production studio, T-Street, is also producing the film alongside Netflix. Ben LeClair, Leopold Hughes, Nikos Karamigios, and most recently, Katie McNeill serve as producers under T-Street.

The Knives Out 3 Cast

As the Knives Out franchise is a modern whodunit, the first two films have featured different slates of characters. For Knives Out 3, only Daniel Craig is confirmed to return as Benoit Blanc. Craig’s involvement was one of the conditions when Netflix bought the Knives Out sequels. So, the actor is guaranteed to return. Other than Craig, it is likely that a new cast of characters will make up the next sequel.

“If each one of these can really be what Agatha Christie did, if it can be not just in a totally new location and a new cast, but also trying something exciting, I’ll keep doing it as long as Daniel and I are having a good time. I’ll keep making these as long as they let me,” Johnson told Variety.

There was some speculation as to whether Natasha Lyonne, who had a cameo in Glass Onion, could join Knives Out 3. This is because Lyonne starred in Johnson’s mystery series Poker Face in 2023. Fans have wondered whether there would be crossovers. However, Johnson made clear that Poker Face is not set in the Knives Out universe.

The Storyline

As said earlier, the Knives Out films are whodunits, so they are standalone movies. In true murder mystery fashion, Knives Out 3 will present a new case for Benoit Blanc to solve. While Johnson said he wants Knives Out 3 to be very different, it’s still going to stick to its whodunit element like the first two movies.

The upcoming sequel may also focus more on Benoit Blanc’s home life. It was previously shown a little more in Glass Onion, so there’s still more to explore about the sleuth. One of those aspects is his sexuality, which Johnson talked about during press for the sequel. Johnson said that this will “come into play” for Knives Out 3 as it’s a big part of the character.

“If you watch the movie, I think it’s made explicit. In terms of exploring it, I mean, maybe, but with these movies, I mean, they’re not really about the detective’s sexuality. It’s baked into the genre a little bit, the detective is kind of set outside the realm of the human drama that’s going on with the rest of the suspects, so I’m sure it’ll come into play because it’s a big part of who he is, obviously. It’s just a fact about his character,” said Johnson.

The first two films also explored wealth and status. While Knives Out was another look into old money, Glass Onion explored the world of new money. Will Knives Out 3 continue this examination? Fans will have to wait and see.

What to Expect

Johnson revealed to Uproxx that he wants to emulate the renowned murder mystery author Agatha Christie in his whodunits.

“I’ve never really been interested in doing sequels, but this, the idea of doing more of these with Daniel as his character, is not sequels,” said Johnson. “It’s just what Agatha Christie did. It’s just coming up with a whole new mystery, a whole new location, all new cast, whole new mechanics of the appeal of a mystery, and everything. It’d be a blast.”

During the premiere of Glass Onion, Johnson told Deadline that he was ready to start work on Knives Out 3. Johnson explained that the agreement with Netflix was drafted in a specific way that worked for him.

“I think everybody assumed I’d have a couple other random ideas – unrelated projects – that I’ve been kicking around. But, honestly, over the past couple of months, the most exciting creative thing to me right now is that third movie. And so, I think I’m going to hop right into it. Not because of a contractual obligation, but, genuinely, that’s the shiny object I find my nose pointed toward right now. The idea of figuring out how it can be completely different from t his one as well as the first one,” Johnson said at the time.

Knives Out 3 Release Date Speculation and News

There’s no official release date yet for Knives Out 3, so fans might have to wait a while. Fortunately, the third film is confirmed to start filming in 2024. This comes from Deadline’s announcement that Johnson’s T-Street is adding Katie McNeill as one of the studio’s producers.

“T-Street is gearing up to make the third installment of the Benoit Blanc franchise for Netflix later this year,” the Deadline report said. “The yet-to-be-titled film will again be written and directed by Johnson, who helmed the franchise predecessors Knives Out and Glass Onion. Daniel Craig will return in the lead role of the sleuth.”

So, a late 2025 release date may still be likely. It will depend on when, in the latter half of 2024, the third installment begins filming. We’ll keep fans posted as to when filming is set to begin.

For now, fans can rewatch Knives Out wherever available. Glass Onion is available to stream on Netflix.