January 1, 2026
Review | Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025)

Daniel Craig returns as our beloved ascot-wearing sleuth, Benoit Blanc, on the first poster for Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. 

And the killer is? The first poster for Benoit Blanc’s “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” has been unveiled by Netflix. The third film featuring the Southern-fried detective created by writer-director Rian Johnson is almost ready to be unleashed, and the hype is real. The film is already set to headline the BFI London Film Festival, before its release on Netflix on December 12. However, today, the streamer has unveiled a fresh look with the new poster, and it is littered with suspects. But before we get to the potential suspects of the mystery, take a look at the poster below.

The First Poster for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery has Emerged From Netflix

To bring this adventure to the screen, the visionary director has assembled another excellent ensemble cast. Johnson recently described the cast as a dinner party of suspects, so let’s see who will be carrying the next chapter forward.

THE SUSPECTS!

  • Daniel Craig (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Casino Royale)
  • Josh O’Connor (Challengers, The Crown)
  • Glenn Close (Dangerous Liaisons, Fatal Attraction)
  • Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men, Dune)
  • Mila Kunis (Black Swan, Luckiest Girl Alive)
  • Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker, The Town)
  • Kerry Washington (Scandal, Django Unchained, The Six Triple Eight)
  • Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers, Ripley)
  • Cailee Spaeny (Civil War, Priscilla)
  • Daryl McCormack (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande; Peaky Blinders)
  • Thomas Haden Church (Sideways, Spider-Man 3)

Josh O’Connor plays Rev. Jud Duplentis, Glenn Close plays Martha Delacroix, and Josh Brolin plays Msgr. Jefferson Wicks, Mila Kunis plays Geraldine Scott, Jeremy Renner plays Dr. Nat Sharp, Kerry Washington plays Vera Draven, Andrew Scott plays Lee Ross, Cailee Spaeny plays Simone Vivane, Daryl McCormack plays Cy Draven, and Thomas Haden Church plays Samson Holt.

The First Teaser for Wake Up Man A Knives Out Mystery has Emerged from Netflix Tudum
Are you ready for Benoit Blanc’s most dangerous case yet? Here’s your first look at Daniel Craig and Josh O’Connor in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.

As it turns out, Wake Up Dead Man shares its title with a 1997 U2 song off their album Pop. “Pop is a very underrated album, and that song is very right for the title,” Johnson told Netlix Tudum. “But I’ve had ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ in my head for a long while, and I first heard the phrase in American folk music.”

RELEASE

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is the last movie in Johnson’s two-movie deal with Netflix. After the agreement ends, it’s uncertain what will happen to the series. However, the first movie in the series, distributed by Lionsgate, grossed an impressive £312 million at the global box office. Therefore, it’s likely that the studio would want to revive its partnership and generate more revenue from loyal fans. Plus, with Rian Johnson again at the helm of this murder mystery, which looks very impressive, surely another murder mystery awaits us down the line.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will release on Netflix on December 12. Fans attending the BFI London Film Festival will be lucky enough to enjoy the film’s Opening Night Gala on October 8. Additionally, the film will release in select cinemas on November 28.

 

What are you hoping to see in the threequel? Where would you like to see Benoit Blanc head next? Sound off in the comments below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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