Wake Up Dead Man: Rian Johnson’s Most Personal and Challenging Knives Out Mystery Arrives

Rian Johnson’s Toughest Script: Personal Roots and Locked-Room Puzzles

When Rian Johnson sat down to write the third installment of the Knives Out series, he faced a challenge unlike any before. The film, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, not only pushes the boundaries of classic whodunnit storytelling but also plunges into deeply personal territory for its creator. Johnson, acclaimed for his clever genre subversions in films like Brick, Looper, and the previous Benoit Blanc mysteries, admits this was the hardest script he has ever written.

Why? The answer lies in the very heart of the story: faith, religion, and the intricate emotions tied to them. As Johnson told Empire, “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.”

With Wake Up Dead Man, Johnson spent months wrestling with the film’s themes before ever putting pen to paper. He wanted to explore faith and doubt honestly, steering clear of glib or moralistic takes. The story’s setting—a church, and the murder of Monsignor Wicks (Josh Brolin) in a locked concrete room—served not just as a backdrop, but as the crucible for Johnson’s own reflections on belief and respect.

Faith, Mystery, and Respect: Navigating Sensitive Territory

Writing a mystery is always a puzzle, but this time, Johnson’s challenge was twofold. The mechanics of a locked-room murder—where the victim is found dead inside an impenetrable box—are enough to make any writer sweat. Yet, for Johnson, the real difficulty lay in how to treat the religious aspects with dignity. “That’s 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,” he shared with Empire (CinemaBlend).

This intent shows in the film’s approach: religion isn’t just a plot device, it’s woven into the characters’ motivations and the atmosphere of suspicion. Johnson’s personal journey from devout faith to secular curiosity echoes through the script, inviting audiences to consider their own beliefs without judgement.

The Cast: A Gallery of Suspects and Secrets

As in previous Knives Out films, Wake Up Dead Man assembles a dazzling cast. Daniel Craig reprises his role as Benoit Blanc, the Southern detective with a knack for sniffing out truth in tangled webs. Joining him are Josh O’Connor as Rev. Jud Duplenticy, Glenn Close as Martha Delacroix, Josh Brolin as the ill-fated Msgr. Jefferson Wicks, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, Thomas Haden Church, and Jeffrey Wright. Each character brings their own secrets and suspicions, promising a fresh round of twists for fans of the series (The Popverse).

The locked-room premise heightens the stakes: Blanc must untangle not only the mystery of who killed Wicks, but why—delving into motives rooted in faith, power, and personal history. As always, Johnson’s script asks the audience to play detective, offering just enough clues to keep everyone guessing until the final reveal.

Release Dates, Streaming, and the Future of Johnson’s Filmmaking

For those eager to see the puzzle unfold, the wait is almost over. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will premiere in select theaters on November 26, 2025, before streaming worldwide on Netflix, December 12, 2025. This hybrid release model continues the precedent set by the previous films, reflecting Johnson’s commitment to both cinematic and digital audiences.

Johnson’s partnership with Netflix, which began with a landmark $400 million deal for two Knives Out sequels, has propelled the franchise to new cultural heights. Yet, as Johnson told Empire and World of Reel, he remains devoted to the theatrical experience. “Reports of [the theater’s] death are greatly exaggerated,” he said, pointing to recent successes that prove audiences still crave the shared excitement of seeing a film on the big screen.

Looking ahead, Johnson teases a shift in genre for his next project: a ’70s-inspired paranoid thriller with a hint of sci-fi, born from ideas he had after making Looper. While he hasn’t ruled out returning to the Star Wars universe someday, for now his creative compass is set on new territory.

Why Wake Up Dead Man Matters: The Power of Honest Storytelling

The anticipation for Wake Up Dead Man is more than just hype for another clever mystery. The film promises to probe questions that linger beneath the surface of faith, loss, and human connection. Johnson’s willingness to confront his own complicated feelings—while refusing to treat religion as mere window-dressing—gives the film an authenticity rare in big-budget franchises.

As audiences prepare to enter Blanc’s world once again, the stakes are personal for Johnson and, perhaps, for viewers who see echoes of their own journeys in his. The locked-room puzzle may be solved by the film’s end, but the questions it raises about belief, respect, and understanding are meant to linger long after the credits roll.

With its star-studded cast, philosophical depth, and a release strategy that bridges theaters and streaming, Wake Up Dead Man stands poised to not only entertain but spark conversation. Whether you’re a die-hard mystery fan or simply curious about the stories we tell to make sense of faith and doubt, this Knives Out chapter is set to be the franchise’s most thoughtful yet.

Johnson’s third Benoit Blanc mystery is more than a locked-room whodunnit—it’s a testament to the complexity of belief and the courage required to confront it honestly. By intertwining personal history with genre mastery, Wake Up Dead Man promises a rare blend of suspense and sincerity, ensuring its place as the most resonant entry in the Knives Out saga.