Rian Johnson Teases Gothic Origins and New Tone in Wake Up Dead Man, the Latest Knives Out Mystery

Rian Johnson’s highly anticipated film, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, is set to release on December 12 and promises a fresh take on the beloved franchise. Following the success of the original 2019 Knives Out and its sequel Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Johnson reveals that this third installment will adopt a darker, more grounded tone inspired by gothic influences. The director’s vision aims to reconnect the film with the early roots of the mystery genre, drawing from writers like Edgar Allan Poe rather than just the familiar Agatha Christie style.

Exploring Gothic Influences and Emotional Depth

Johnson shared with Rolling Stone that

“Gothic, much more grounded tone. It’s more similar to the first one in that way. It kind of gets back to the real origins of the genre, which, predating [Agatha] Christie, go back to [Edgar Allen] Poe,”

emphasizing his intent to infuse the story with a moody and atmospheric style. This new tone is expected to shift away from the comedic elements that marked the original film, instead focusing on more intimate emotional stakes.

He elaborated on the narrative’s emotional core, stating that

“You have to care about a character getting or not getting what they want. The detective is more akin to the shark in Jaws, more of a godlike presence in the movie. It’s very hard to sell emotional stakes regarding the detectives themselves.”

This suggests that the film will center more heavily on the characters affected by the mystery, while Daniel Craig’s detective Benoit Blanc maintains a detached, almost omniscient role.

Innovating Within a Beloved Franchise

Johnson expressed his desire to break from repetition, admitting that after working on a particular tone for several years, he’s eager to offer audiences something different. He described the process as

“It’s not necessarily where I’m going to flip and do a totally different tone, but after three years of working on something that has a particular tone, it’s like you’ve been eating the same thing for lunch every day for three years. I’m more excited about doing something that feels new.”

This reflects a purposeful effort to evolve the series while retaining core mystery elements.

Wake Up Dead Man boasts a star-studded ensemble including returning lead Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc, along with Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church. The diverse cast is set to bring fresh dynamics and complexities to the unfolding mystery.

Continuing the Legacy of the Knives Out Mysteries

The original Knives Out garnered critical acclaim for blending humor with a realistic mystery, notably through characters like Ana de Armas’s protagonist who cannot lie and Chris Evans’s villainous role. With a 97 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating, the franchise’s earlier successes set high expectations for this next chapter. Johnson’s return to gothic origins and a more grounded tone signals a significant shift intended to deepen audience engagement through atmosphere and character-driven tension.

As the release date approaches, fans and critics alike are looking forward to seeing how Johnson’s creative choices will expand the world of Benoit Blanc and deliver a unique storytelling experience within the mystery genre.

Our Reader’s Queries

Q. Why did Rian Johnson direct Star Wars episode 8?

A. After his third movie, “Looper,” came out, Rian Johnson met with Kathleen Kennedy, who was the new president of Lucasfilm. During a follow-up meeting, he got the chance to direct Episode VIII in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.