Rian Johnson Is Working On A Sequel To KNIVES OUT

Rian Johnson's Knives Out was one of the best films of 2019, full stop, and its greatness was rewarded in roughly a quarter of a billion dollars in worldwide box office receipts (on the back of a $40M production budget). With results like that, a sequel seemed all but guaranteed, and yesterday Johnson himself confirmed that he's begun work on a follow-up, one which will definitely bring back Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc. 

Says The Hollywood Reporter:

"Johnson told The Hollywood Reporter at Lionsgate's pre-Golden Globes party on Saturday night that he was already developing a sequel centered on Daniel Craig's Southern detective Benoit Blanc investigating a new case. The filmmaker added that he was eager to make the pic quickly, ideally in the next year. 

Johnson's producing partner Ram Bergman added that Craig was eager to reprise the role. "Daniel had so much fun doing it, and he wants to do more," he said."

It's exciting any time a movie you love gets a sequel, but it's doubly exciting in a situation like this: Craig's all but guaranteed to return to this role, but he'll presumably be surrounded by an entirely new cast of suspects, which means we'll get to see Benoit Blanc bouncing off a whole new batch of accomplished actors. And they're talking about filming it within the next year! We might really have a new Benoit Blanc caper in theaters by 2021! 

It's worth noting that Lionsgate hasn't greenlit the project yet, but given the success of the first film and both Johnson and Craig's willingness to return, we're guessing this one will fall into place quickly. Here's hoping it does, and here's hoping Johnson finds a way to bring back his beloved muse, Noah Segan (our pitch: put him in an eyepatch and make him the evil twin brother of Knives Out's Trooper Wagner). 

Stay tuned for further updates on the Knives Out sequel, whatever it may be called, as they become available.