Daniel Craig reprises his beloved role as master detective Benoit Blanc in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, premiering in select theaters on November 26, 2025, before streaming globally on Netflix December 12. Directed and written by Rian Johnson, this third installment takes a darker, gothic turn as Blanc investigates a seemingly impossible murder within a small-town church congregation led by charismatic Monsignor Jefferson Wicks. The star-studded ensemble includes Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, and Andrew Scott. After its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, early reviews praise Craig’s best Blanc performance yet and the film’s atmospheric mystery.
Cast, Director, and Writer
Director & Writer: Rian Johnson
Producers: Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman (T-Street Productions)
Main Cast: Daniel Craig (Benoit Blanc), Josh O’Connor (Rev. Jud Duplenticy), Glenn Close (Martha Delacroix), Josh Brolin (Monsignor Jefferson Wicks), Mila Kunis (Chief Geraldine Scott), Jeremy Renner (Dr. Nat Sharp), Kerry Washington (Vera Draven), Andrew Scott (Lee Ross), Cailee Spaeny (Simone Vivane), Daryl McCormack (Cy Draven), Thomas Haden Church (Samson Holt), Jeffrey Wright (Bishop Langstrom)
Distributor: Netflix
Release Dates: November 26, 2025 (theaters, limited), December 12, 2025 (Netflix)
Movie Story
Detective Benoit Blanc faces his “most dangerous case yet” when young priest Jud Duplenticy is sent to assist the charismatic and domineering Monsignor Jefferson Wicks at a small church in upstate New York. When a sudden and seemingly impossible murder rocks Wicks’ devout congregation, local police chief Geraldine Scott recruits Blanc to unravel a mystery that defies all logic. The detective must navigate a complex web of secrets, simmering tensions, and dark history within the tightly-knit community that includes devout church lady Martha Delacroix, circumspect groundskeeper Samson Holt, tightly-wound lawyer Vera Draven, aspiring politician Cy Draven, town doctor Nat Sharp, best-selling author Lee Ross, and former concert cellist Simone Vivane. The gothic, atmospheric mystery represents the darkest chapter yet in Johnson’s celebrated franchise.
Review & Ratings
Critical Response: Positive. After its Toronto International Film Festival world premiere on September 6, 2025, critics praised the film’s darker tone and atmospheric mystery-solving.
Standout Performances: Daniel Craig delivers “his best performance as Benoit Blanc,” with Josh O’Connor and Glenn Close earning special recognition as “real standouts.” The ensemble chemistry—featuring Craig and O’Connor as a “wonderful pairing who only get funnier and more lovable when playing off each other”—anchors the film.
Other Highlights: Josh Brolin is “initially unrecognizable” but becomes “a commanding presence,” Glenn Close shows “unwavering commitment,” and Jeremy Renner, Andrew Scott, and Daryl McCormack “mine the pathetic nature of their characters for comedic effect.”
Tone: Described as “gothic” and the “darkest chapter” of the franchise, representing a stylistic evolution from the sunny Greek island of Glass Onion.
Early Buzz: Strong word-of-mouth from TIFF, with audiences anticipating another crowd-pleasing mystery with deeper emotional stakes.
Previous Movies’ Box Office Collection
Knives Out (2019): $312.9 million worldwide ($165.3M domestic, $147.5M international). Budget: $40 million. Released by Lionsgate with a traditional wide theatrical release during Thanksgiving 2019, the film opened to $41.4 million over five days and became a surprise critical and commercial hit, earning Daniel Craig a Golden Globe nomination.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022): Limited theatrical release by Netflix—approximately $15 million from one-week engagement in under 700 theaters (estimated $13 million over Thanksgiving weekend). The film earned $9.4 million opening weekend with a strong $13,218 per-theater average. Netflix acquired rights for two sequels at $469 million total. Industry analysts believe Glass Onion could have earned $40-50 million opening weekend and potentially $130-200 million domestically with a traditional wide release. The streaming-first strategy prioritized Netflix subscribers over box office revenue, though the film became one of Netflix’s most-watched releases.
Release Strategy and Franchise Future
Wake Up Dead Man follows a hybrid release model similar to Glass Onion, with a limited theatrical engagement starting November 26 before streaming globally on Netflix December 12. The Thanksgiving theatrical window allows the film to compete for awards consideration while building anticipation for its Netflix premiere. Daniel Craig reportedly earned $100 million for his involvement in both Glass Onion and Wake Up Dead Man, cementing his commitment to the franchise alongside writer-director Rian Johnson.
