Glass Onion's Daniel Craig And Rian Johnson On Filming In A Pool And The Mystery Of Benoit Blanc [Exclusive Interview]
Rian Johnson's latest "Knives Out" movie, "Glass Onion," had a week-long stint in movie theaters last month, but it's hitting Netflix tomorrow. The film comes after 2019's very popular first "Knives Out" feature, where we were all introduced to Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc, a famous detective who is extremely good at uncovering the truth in messy situations.
I had the chance to talk with Craig and Johnson about their second film together and what it was like returning to the role of Benoit Blanc. Read on for that spoiler-free discussion, which includes talk about cravats, how directing in a pool made Johnson "chuffed," and how "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" gives Craig "endless joy."
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
'He always had that wardrobe!'
So Daniel, I've seen "Glass Onion." It's fantastic — I already told Rian this, so he's heard my praise already. One thing that's so interesting about it, without getting into spoilers, is that there are many layers to the story and there are scenes that the audience will see where they might not necessarily know everything that's actually going on. And I wondered for you, playing Benoit, how did you approach those scenes where the audience might be thinking one thing, but something else is going on?
Craig: I suppose the simple answer is just that's part of the job. To have the privilege of having something that complicated to play is rare, so that's one. It's also, I think, bread and butter to any actor, that joy of having something with that [complexity]. And then it's modulating it, and I trust in Rian to watch that. I won't say I didn't worry about it — I did, and we had lots of discussions about it. But I knew that we were in the right place.
What's great about the movie — many things that are good about the movie, but one that gives me endless joy, is that there are lots of things to discover in the film, and if you decide to concentrate on those things, you'll be rewarded. If you don't, you just want to have the joy of it, you'll be rewarded. But if you watch it again, all of those things pay off. They're like little presents you get as the movie goes on. I just trust this man, so it makes things a lot easier.
Absolutely. And it's definitely a movie I can't wait to watch again. We also see different sides of Benoit this movie. He goes to new places, he gets a new wardrobe, has some cravat action —
Craig: He always had that wardrobe! This isn't a new wardrobe.
Fair enough!
Craig: He was in Boston for one night, and it ended up being a week [in the first "Knives Out" movie]. He had to wear the same clothes. He had one change of shirt. The poor guy — he didn't even take a razor with him.
'Being able to be in there with the monitor in the swimming pool, I felt quite chuffed for doing that'
But we get to see him, for example, in the pool. The pool scene I think is a nice little show of his character in certain ways, combined with the wardrobe. But I wondered for you, for future movies, is there any situation or scene you in which would love to play this character? Like horseback riding, or playing pickleball, or anything like that?
Craig: Pickleball! [laughs] I don't have anything. I trust in Rian that he'll come up with some great scenarios and if I can think of any, I'll throw them in. But I don't know — I love the fact that Benoit, even in this movie, even though we find a little bit more about him, remains essentially a mystery to the audience. I think that's important. I don't think his background, or what his personal life is [is important].
I just remember this wonderful thing that Peter Ustinov did with Poirot [in the Agatha Christie films in the '70s and '80s] — he used to enter the movie from somewhere, and then leave and go somewhere, and we didn't know where. We had no idea. Maybe he'd refer to some event he had to go to in Geneva or something, but you never really knew where it was. It was as much a mystery as the mystery itself. And I like that.
And Rian, similar question to you. I saw you jokingly tweeted about how you thought you achieved your directing goal of shooting a pool scene in the pool —
Johnson: The pool! I directed from the pool!
Craig! He's done, that's it. It's over.
Johnson: Later, suckers.
Big milestone! Is there any other scenario like that you'd love to do?
Craig: You can go full James Cameron — you got to go under the pool.
Johnson: Yeah, I got to go into the deep end this time. Sorry, we're a bit chaotic, I apologize.
No, trust me. I get it.
Johnson: I mean, for me, the fun of these movies is that they're completely different things each time. And that goes for the setting, that goes for the story, that goes for the characters — all of it. So I don't know. I'm looking forward to figuring out what the third one will be. So I'll see what the life goal that I'll get to achieve is, now that I've directed from a swimming pool. That was a biggie — being able to be in there with the monitor in the swimming pool, I felt quite chuffed for doing that.
Craig: You couldn't smoke a cigar, unfortunately.
Johnson: Well, that's true. I can totally John Huston it and be smoking a cigar while directing ... I think I've done that, though.
"Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" hits Netflix on December 23, 2022.