Rian Johnson has a way of keeping ‘Knives Out‘ fans thinking even when there’s no mystery officially on the table. With ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery‘ now out and getting plenty of attention, people are also wondering what this means for Benoit Blanc’s future.
It’s a fair question, especially since Johnson doesn’t rush his stories or treat them like routine sequels. While promoting the latest film, he has been pretty open about where his head is at creatively, and his comments offer a clear picture of what’s coming next, and what very much isn’t.
Rian Johnson Opens Up About Benoit Blanc’s Future
Rian Johnson first introduced Daniel Craig’s alliterative, Southern-accented detective back in 2019 with Knives Out, and the character quickly became the heart of the franchise. Since then, Johnson has written and directed three Benoit Blanc mysteries in a row, each one feeling different from the last. While speaking to Entertainment Weekly about Wake Up Dead Man, Johnson made it clear that he doesn’t think this is the end for Blanc.
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He shared that he has already started thinking about what another installment could look like. Johnson explained that he has some basic, elemental, conceptual ideas; small kernels where he thinks, “Okay, it would be interesting if it were this kind of thing.” That said, Johnson also stressed that he’s not jumping straight into another Knives Out movie.
After working on three films back-to-back in the franchise, he confirmed that he plans to make at least one original movie before returning to Benoit Blanc’s world. He also said he won’t push those early ideas much further until he’s fully ready to make the next mystery his next project.
Another ‘Knives Out Mystery’ Has No Fixed Plan Yet
Although those early ideas exist, Johnson was very clear that everything remains unfinished. He said he has no concrete plans for a fourth film. There’s no theme, no location, and no detailed storyline in place right now. He explained that things are still pretty vague and that he actually likes it that way.
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Johnson said he prefers to keep ideas loose until he’s ready to sit down and write. For him, locking things in too early doesn’t help, especially with a series that depends so much on timing and tone. He doesn’t want to make another ‘Knives Out‘ movie just because it’s expected. He wants to be sure there’s a real reason for it to exist before moving forward.
Johnson also talked about why timing is such a big deal for these films. He said that part of making a Knives Out movie is reacting to the present moment, not by directly tackling current events, politics, or culture, but by tapping into how people are feeling in the world at that time. He described each film as a kind of “vibe check” of the United States and the moment it’s made in. For now, fans can focus on ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery‘.
