Daniel Craig has once again stepped into the shoes of detective Benoit Blanc, bringing a fresh wave of intrigue and excitement to Rian Johnson’s latest whodunit, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. The film, which premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) between September 4 and 14, has already started to generate considerable buzz, with critics lauding it as the “darkest chapter” in the beloved Knives Out franchise, according to IndieWire and other festival coverage.
At the red carpet event in Toronto, Craig expressed his gratitude for being part of the project. “How lucky am I to get to play something like this?” he told People, his enthusiasm clear as he reflected on his journey from James Bond to Benoit Blanc. “I mean, I’ve played [James] Bond and now I’m suddenly playing Benoit Blanc. It’s dumb luck. I’m very lucky.”
Craig’s humility and excitement were palpable, but the film’s premise is what’s truly capturing imaginations. Wake Up Dead Man is the third installment in the Knives Out series and a standalone sequel to 2022’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. This time, the action moves to the fictional rural town of Chimney Rock, New York, and centers on a murder that has both the congregation and the audience scratching their heads.
The story kicks off with Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (played by Josh Brolin) delivering a fiery sermon at the Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude church. In a twist worthy of Agatha Christie, Wicks walks into a sealed concrete box in plain view of the congregation and is found dead just 30 seconds later. The death is so confounding that some parishioners, including the devout Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), view it as an unsolvable holy mystery. But Benoit Blanc, ever the rationalist, isn’t convinced by the supernatural angle. “There’s a murderer who’s dressed as a miracle,” Blanc tells rookie priest Rev. Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) in the official teaser, as reported by Collider. “What happened that night is a much, much larger scheme. To understand this case, you need to look at the myth that’s being constructed.”
The suspects are as colorful and enigmatic as ever, with the church staff and congregation all falling under Blanc’s microscope. Among them are Wicks’ trusted associate Martha Delacroix (Close), best-selling author Lee Ross (Andrew Scott), would-be politician Cy Draven (Daryl McCormack), local lawyer Vera Draven (Kerry Washington), the church’s all-seeing groundskeeper Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church), and town doctor Dr. Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner). The investigation is further complicated by the involvement of police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis), who, alongside assistant priest Jud Duplenticy, helps Blanc sift through the evidence and the web of secrets.
Director Rian Johnson has hinted at a tonal shift for this third outing. Speaking to Empire, Johnson described the film’s central mystery as “an impossible thing that could never have happened, almost miraculous in nature.” He explained, “Blanc is seeing [this case] as, ‘It’s just a murder, I can solve this.’ The way the murder presents itself is the opposite of that. It’s framed as an impossible thing that could never have happened, almost miraculous in nature. And Blanc, as the rationalist, is coming in to do what he does, and prove that wrong.” This blend of the miraculous and the methodical promises to set Wake Up Dead Man apart from its predecessors, which took place in a wealthy family’s estate and a tech billionaire’s Greek island, respectively.
The anticipation for the film has been stoked by Netflix’s strategic rollout of teasers and first-look footage. In June 2025, the streaming giant unveiled the initial trailer, with stars like Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, and Jeremy Renner ramping up excitement at promotional events. Glenn Close even made a memorable video appearance, dropping an f-bomb that had fans talking. Daniel Craig, meanwhile, made sure to appear in person, reinforcing his commitment to the role and the franchise.
When asked if Wake Up Dead Man would be his last turn as Benoit Blanc, Craig was noncommittal but optimistic. “Who told you that? Listen, I don’t know. Rian hasn’t written anything because we’re getting this movie out,” he said to People. But he added, “If [Rian Johnson] writes another script and it’s as good as I think it probably will be, then it’s an easy decision.” Later, at TIFF, he reiterated to Variety, “If [Rian Johnson] keeps writing them, I’ll keep doing them. That’s what makes it easy then, he’s such a wonderful writer that it’s there on the page for me to do.”
The film’s ensemble cast is a veritable who’s who of Hollywood talent. Alongside Craig, Brolin, Close, Kunis, Renner, Washington, Scott, O’Connor, McCormack, Spaeny, and Haden Church all bring their unique flair to the screen. The chemistry among the cast adds to the film’s allure, with each actor fully inhabiting their mysterious, potentially culpable roles.
Critics at TIFF have already begun to heap praise on the film, with many calling it the most ambitious and atmospheric entry in the series so far. The neo-Gothic setting, complex plot, and a murder that seems to defy explanation have all contributed to the rave early reviews, according to Entertainment Weekly. For fans eagerly awaiting the chance to solve the mystery alongside Blanc, the wait won’t be much longer: Wake Up Dead Man will have a limited theatrical release on November 26, 2025, before debuting on Netflix worldwide on December 12, 2025.
Meanwhile, Daniel Craig’s post-Bond career continues to flourish. Since ending his five-movie run as 007 with 2021’s No Time to Die, he’s been linked to other high-profile projects, including a rumored role in Greta Gerwig’s upcoming adaptation of C. S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia novels, as reported by Deadline in March 2025. But for now, it’s the mystery of Chimney Rock—and the question of who killed Monsignor Wicks—that has audiences hooked.
With its star-studded cast, devilishly clever plot, and the promise of more Benoit Blanc mysteries to come, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is shaping up to be a must-watch for fans of the genre and casual viewers alike. Whether you’re drawn by the impossible crime, the parade of suspects, or simply Daniel Craig’s Southern drawl, this latest installment makes it clear: the game is afoot, and everyone’s a suspect.
