The upcoming "Knives Out" sequel has another stacked cast,
but it's the surprise cameos that are sure to get people talking. Who shows up? Will the
film be darker than the first? Here's all you need to know before the big premiere.
In November 2019, writer and director Rian Johnson made waves with his murder-mystery
film "Knives Out." The acclaimed whodunnit earned rave reviews and raked in a seriously impressive
pull at the box office against a relatively modest budget, which is saying nothing of its multiple
Golden Globe nominations. Luckily for all the legions of "Knives Out" fans out there, neither
Craig nor Johnson hesitated to express their interest in revisiting detective Benoit Blanc.
In fact, during a pre-Golden Globes party held by Lionsgate in January 2020,
Johnson told The Hollywood Reporter that he was already working on a script for a
"Knives Out" sequel. Following the world premiere of "Glass Onion" at
the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, Johnson remarked that he'll
keep making "Knives Out" sequels for as long as his star lets him. Via Variety, he joked,
"I'm going to keep making these until Daniel blocks me on his phone."
"It sounds crazy, but it'll work."
However, despite how much he clearly enjoys making his Craig-led whodunnits,
Johnson did tell the Los Angeles Times that he found writing "Glass Onion" to
be a particularly difficult experience. Johnson shared,
"It was scary. I also spent 10 years planning 'Knives Out,' whereas this,
I was kind of starting from scratch."
Fortunately, if the film's overwhelmingly positive early reviews are any indication,
it looks like Johnson already has the excuses he needs to keep making his "Knives Out" sequels.
The main creative team members behind "Knives Out" began working on a sequel only a few months
after the film's release. So, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to learn that
"Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" is set to be released relatively shortly. For his part,
Daniel Craig likely had a little more time to spare for "Glass Onion," too,
given the fact that his tenure as James Bond came to an end in 2021 with "No Time to Die."
All of which is to say that "Knives Out" fans don't have to wait much longer to see the
follow-up to that beloved 2019 whodunnit. Indeed, "Glass Onion" is currently set to premiere Friday,
December 23 on Netflix. Rian Johnson also announced on Twitter in early October
that "Glass Onion" will be released in select theaters one month prior to its late December
Netflix premiere. That means "Knives Out" fans will get the chance to see "Glass Onion" early,
though, the film is only set to play in theaters throughout the week of November 23.
"Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" will tell a completely different story than
its predecessor. According to Netflix's TUDUM, Rian Johnson's "Knives Out" sequel will be set
in the Mediterranean and will follow Edward Norton's tech billionaire Miles Bron and the
friends he invites to his private island in Greece. As you might have already guessed,
one of these friends ends up dead, and it's Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc who
is ultimately tasked with discovering the identity of the victim's murderer.
As was the case in "Knives Out," the new film's wealthy central characters
will all be far from perfect. While speaking with TUDUM,
Johnson even touched on the relationships at the center of "Glass Onion," saying,
"It's structured around a group of friends, or frenemies,
who all have a power dynamic with one of their successful friends. It begins with him sending
an invitation for them to come and play this murder mystery game at this exotic locale."
Fans will, unfortunately, have to wait to find out not only who the
key victim is in "Glass Onion" but who is ultimately responsible for their death.
"Really, dude?"
"Oh my god."
"Really."
"Knives Out" boasted some pretty impressive star power. In addition to Daniel Craig,
the film's cast included heavy hitters like Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette,
Chris Evans, Don Johnson, Jaeden Martell, Michael Shannon, Katherine Langford, and Riki Lindhome.
LaKeith Stanfield also turned in a memorable performance in
"Knives Out" as Detective Lieutenant Elliot,
while Noah Segan made a lasting impression as Trooper Wagner. Fortunately, "Glass Onion:
A Knives Out Mystery" seems to have assembled a similarly impressive ensemble of actors.
Not only will "Glass Onion" center, once again, around Craig's Benoit Blanc but the long-awaited
"Knives Out" sequel will also introduce viewers to a new lineup of eccentric characters. Indeed,
while no "Knives Out" cast members outside of Craig are expected to
appear in "Glass Onion," the new film's cast does feature recognizable stars.
This includes Kate Hudson, Edward Norton, Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Ethan Hawke,
Madelyn Cline, Jessica Henwick, Leslie Odom Jr.,
and Janelle Monáe. Plus — spoiler alert for what will likely be fun cameos — the film will
mark the final on-screen appearances of two late legends: Stephen Sondheim and Angela Lansbury.
In other words, it seems safe to say that "Glass Onion" has managed
to successfully steal, at the very least, one page from its predecessor's playbook.
"Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story" is, just like the original "Knives Out" was,
rated PG-13. The film's rating is reportedly due to strong language, drug content,
some violence, and sexual material. Taking that into account, it sounds like "Glass
Onion" will be a bit edgier and more mature than some parents may be comfortable with.
For whatever it's worth, 2019's "Knives Out" was rated PG-13 for drug material, brief violence,
sexual references, some strong language, and thematic elements. In other words, it sounds
like "Glass Onion" will have worse language and sexual references than "Knives Out" did.
Whether or not "Glass Onion" ends up being considerably darker in tone and
content than "Knives Out," however, remains to be seen. Parents should,
nonetheless, note the differences between the two films' PG-13 ratings if they're debating
whether or not to take their kids to see "Glass Onion" later this year.