Netflix has scored the sequel rights to Knives Out. The streamer has shelled out more than $400 million for the next two sequels & the deal is one of the biggest in history for a streaming service.
Rian Johnson will direct with Daniel Craig reprising his role as super sleuth Benoit Blanc. Johnson, who wrote the original, has written the sequels and is producing with partner Ram Bergman. The original was acquired in a single picture deal by MRC, which distributed the film through Lionsgate. The first film cost $40 million and turned in a global gross north of $311 million. This made a sequel inevitable but it turning into a hot item for streaming was a surprise. Apple & Amazon were also in the running & Netflix ultimately won out.
The first film will begin shooting on June 28 in Greece, and casting will begin immediately. The ensemble cast from the first film which included Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, Chris Evans, Ana De Armas, and more, will not be returning as of this writing. Daniel Craig’s character will be the connection from film to film as a new mystery and case is explored in the sequels.
