Posted in: Movies, Netflix | Tagged: wake up dead man: a knives out mystery

Wake Up Dead Man Is "The Hardest Script" Rian Johnson's Ever Written

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery director and writer Rian Johnson revealed that this script was the "hardest" for him to write.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is the third planned film from director Rian Johnson, following the runaway success of the first film back in 2019. Like the Agatha Christie books it is modeled after, these films feature crossover only with one singular character and not much in the way of character development for Benoit Blanc. He knows who he is and what he is capable of, and that hasn't changed much in the last two films. However, this next one might be different, and that complexity is reflected all the way back to the script wiring process. In a new interview with Empire, Johnsoon revealed that this script was the hardest for him to complete.

"This was definitely the hardest script I've ever written," Johnson explained. "I grew up very Christian — not just raised going to church, but with a belief in God, and a relationship with Christ being incredibly central to the way I framed everything in the world around me. And I'm not anymore. I have lots of people in my life that I love that still are [religious], and there are things about that time that I still really treasure. I have a lot of complicated feelings about it."

Johnson went on to explain that the themes were "the real reason the script was so hard to write. It's something I do take really seriously. I wanted to explore it in a really honest way, while also not being facile about it, or — God forbid — moralistic or irreverent." People always get weird when filmmakers explore the more complex aspects of organized religion and the good and the bad that come from it. There's no one better to tell a story from the Christian trenches than someone who did their time there, and it sounds like Johnson very much did his time. Star Daniel Craig went on to praise Johnson's work ethic in the scripting process and revealed that the script was immediately rereadable or 'rewatchable' in a way.

"Once he starts, he's like a dog with a bone — he works it and works it and works it until he gets it right," Craig said. "And then read it immediately again," he says. "It's like watching the movies — it's always great to watch it a second time, because there are always bits you miss."

The early reviews for Wake Up Dead Man are trending pretty positive, and if this one does well, you have to wonder if Netflix is going to offer Johnson the opportunity to make more. They are unique in that they have massive, impressive casts packed with talent, but only one actor who recurs. This mystery format is endless, so expect to hear a lot of people asking if this is the end of the road for this series [that probably needs a new name].

Wake Up Dead Man: Summary, Cast List, Release Date

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. Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Rian Johnson writes and directs Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, and assembles another all-star, award-winning cast.

Wake Up Dead Man is the newest Benoit Blanc whodunnit from writer and director Rian Johnson, starring Daniel Craig, Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church. Wake Up Dead Man will stream on Netflix on December 12th, 2025.

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