Bigger Isn’t Better: Rian Johnson on Changing the Trajectory of Wake Up Dead Man

The era of sun-drenched Greek islands and billionaire tech retreats is over. Rian Johnson has decided to pull the rug out from under the audience’s expectations. According to Entertainment Weekly, the filmmaker behind the Knives Out trilogy intentionally shifted the series' direction with its latest installment, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, ensuring that detective Benoit Blanc doesn't become a creature of habit.

Rian Johnson Wake Up Dead Man Interview: Why He Swapped Islands for Upstate New York

While 2022'sGlass Onion leaned into glitz and glamor on a private Greek island, Wake Up Dead Man feels significantly more intimate. Set in a small town in upstate New York, the third film—released on Netflix in December 2025—focuses on a murder that rattles a tiny church community. Johnson explained that he didn't want the franchise's trajectory to be defined by simply getting "bigger and broader" with each entry.

Faith and Personal Stakes in the Benoit Blanc Series

To achieve this "grounded" feel, Johnson looked toward the conceptual idea of faith. He described this as the "most personal, tangled thing" in his life, using the Benoit Blanc mystery as a medium to engage with the topic. This tonal shift is reflected in the film's darker color palette and somber atmosphere, distancing it from the vibrant saturation of its predecessor. The star-studded cast, including Daniel Craig, Josh O'Connor, and Glenn Close, brings this more contemplative chapter to life.