Daniel Craig is once again donning the sharp suits and Southern drawl of detective Benoit Blanc, returning to the big screen for what’s being called his “most dangerous case yet.” On September 6, 2025, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) rolled out the red carpet for the world premiere of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the third entry in Rian Johnson’s acclaimed murder mystery series. The excitement swirling around both the film and its star was palpable, with fans and critics alike eager to see where Johnson and Craig would take the franchise next.
Craig, now 57, spoke exclusively to PEOPLE at the TIFF premiere, reflecting on his luck in landing such iconic roles. "How lucky am I to get to play something like this?" Craig remarked, standing alongside his fellow cast members. "I mean, I've played [James] Bond and now I'm suddenly playing Benoit Blanc. It's dumb luck. I'm very lucky." His humility belies the anticipation that’s been building since the previous two films—2019’s Knives Out and 2022’s Glass Onion—turned the whodunit genre on its head and made Benoit Blanc a household name.
But could this third film be Craig’s swan song as the shrewd detective? When asked if Wake Up Dead Man would be his last outing as Blanc, Craig replied with a sly grin, “Who told you that? Listen, I don't know. Rian hasn't written anything because we're getting this movie out.” He then added, “If [Johnson] writes another script and it's as good as I think it probably will be, then it's an easy decision.” For now, fans will have to wait and see if more mysteries await Blanc in the future.
Writer-director Rian Johnson, who’s helmed all three films, confirmed the title of the latest installment back in May 2025 with a teaser clip that hinted at a case unlike any other. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Johnson described the new movie as “the third and darkest chapter of [his] murder mystery opus.” He’s also on record with Variety stating, "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 [Craig] and I are having a good time. I'll keep making these as long as they let me."
This time around, the plot is steeped in religious myth and a touch of the supernatural, giving the franchise a fresh twist. The story unfolds in and around a Victorian Gothic chapel, the Church of the Holy Innocents, a real-life stone-faced church designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield in 1873 and nestled in Epping Forest, just outside London. The setting alone is enough to send shivers down the spine—think stained-glass windows, ancient gravestones, and a lingering sense of mystery.
The ensemble cast is nothing short of dazzling. Alongside Craig’s Benoit Blanc, the film stars Josh O’Connor (as young priest Jud Duplenticy), Josh Brolin (as Monsignor Jefferson Wicks), Mila Kunis (as local police chief Geraldine Scott), Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Thomas Haden Church, Jeremy Renner, Andrew Scott, Daryl McCormack, and Cailee Spaeny. According to ELLE Decor, the star-studded lineup “will undoubtedly keep viewers guessing as to the identity of the real culprit until the very end.”
The central mystery? It’s a classic locked-room conundrum with a modern, spiritual twist. As the official synopsis puts it, “A man gives a sermon. He then, in plain sight of everyone, walks into a sealed concrete box. Thirty seconds later, that man is lying dead. A classic, impossible crime.” That man is Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, whose sudden and inexplicable death sends shockwaves through his modest but devoted congregation. The lack of an obvious suspect forces local police chief Geraldine Scott to team up with Blanc, forming a dynamic duo determined to unravel a crime that, as Blanc puts it, “defies all logic.”
“To understand this case, you need to look at the myth that’s being constructed,” Craig’s Blanc intones in the film’s teaser trailer, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. The trailer hints at a case that will test even Blanc’s legendary deductive skills, with religious symbolism, secretive townsfolk, and a sense of creeping dread infusing every scene. The supporting cast is filled with potential suspects and red herrings: Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), the devout church lady; Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church), the circumspect groundskeeper; Vera Draven, Esq. (Kerry Washington), the tightly wound lawyer; Cy Draven (Daryl McCormack), an aspiring politician; Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), the town doctor; Lee Ross (Andrew Scott), a best-selling author; and Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny), a concert cellist.
The film’s tone is notably darker than previous entries. Vanity Fair observed that Wake Up Dead Man “skews closer toward horror than the previous installments,” trading the sun-drenched Greek islands and cozy New England mansions of earlier films for a setting steeped in religious lore and Gothic atmosphere. It’s a bold move for Johnson, but one that seems to pay off, with The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney praising Josh O’Connor’s performance as “a former boxer turned priest who becomes both a murder suspect and a Watson to Benoit Blanc’s Sherlock Holmes.”
Behind the scenes, Johnson wrote and directed the film, producing alongside Ram Bergman. The franchise has come a long way since its 2019 debut, when Knives Out was released theatrically by Lionsgate. Netflix later picked up the rights to the sequels, launching Glass Onion in late 2022 and now rolling out Wake Up Dead Man with a global marketing blitz.
For those eager to catch the film, Wake Up Dead Man will enjoy a two-week theatrical run starting November 26, 2025, before making its streaming debut on Netflix December 12, 2025. That’s a short window for cinephiles who prefer the immersive experience of the big screen, but it’s in line with Netflix’s evolving release strategy for major titles.
Craig’s future as Benoit Blanc remains uncertain, but his enthusiasm for the role is clear. As he told PEOPLE, “That’s all I can think of when I think about this character.” It’s a sentiment that’s likely echoed by fans worldwide, who have embraced the quirky detective and his ever-more-baffling cases.
With its gothic setting, all-star cast, and a plot that promises to keep audiences guessing until the very end, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery looks set to cement the franchise’s reputation for reinventing the murder mystery—and maybe, just maybe, leave us wanting one more case for Benoit Blanc to crack.
