‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’ Unveils Its Official Trailer
We’ve been waiting for our next dive into Rian Johnson’s twisty, stylish universe, and today we finally get it: the Wake Up Dead Man official trailer is here, and it’s already giving us a darker, sharper chapter of the Knives Out saga. Daniel Craig slips back into the effortlessly magnetic presence of Benoit Blanc (our favorite gay detective with a flair for dramatics), and we’re more than ready for whatever chaos he’s about to wade into.
In this installment, Johnson sends us to an upstate New York parish—a small community whose peaceful facade shatters when an inexplicable death shakes the church to its core. Johnson himself notes just how much this one took out of him, calling it “the hardest script I have ever had to write,” and we believe him. The trailer leans into something murkier and more emotional than the franchise’s previous entries, pushing Blanc into unfamiliar territory.
The official synopsis reads: “Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) returns for his most dangerous case yet in the third and darkest chapter of Rian Johnson’s murder mystery opus. When young priest Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) is sent to assist charismatic firebrand Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), it’s clear that all is not well in the pews. Wicks’s modest-but-devoted flock includes devout church lady Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), circumspect groundskeeper Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church), tightly wound lawyer Vera Draven, Esq. (Kerry Washington), aspiring politician Cy Draven (Daryl McCormack), town doctor Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), best-selling author Lee Ross (Andrew Scott), and concert cellist Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny). After a sudden and seemingly impossible murder rocks the town, the lack of an obvious suspect prompts local police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) to join forces with renowned detective Benoit Blanc to unravel a mystery that defies all logic.”
From the first moments of the trailer, it’s clear this isn’t Blanc’s usual puzzle. “How lucky am I?” Craig muses as he reprises the role, but the tone shifts quickly. Even Blanc seems rattled by what he calls a “perfectly impossible” case, adding, “This goes way beyond normal police work. This is something even I have not experienced.” If Blanc is spooked, you know we’re in for something special.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is written and directed by Rian Johnson, produced alongside Ram Bergman, and brings back Daniel Craig at the head of an all-star cast. Other cast members include Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church.
If the Wake Up Dead Man official trailer is any indication, this third chapter is gearing up to be the most daring and emotionally charged Knives Out mystery yet. With Benoit Blanc pushing into new territory, a cast stacked with icons, and a vibe that blends camp, sincerity, and genuine menace, we’re counting down the days until we can untangle every twist when the film finally hits the big screen on November 26 before streaming on Netflix on December 12.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will be in selected theaters on November 26—check local listings for tickets. The film will also be available to stream globally on Netflix on December 12. Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Image Courtesy of Netflix.
