'Knives Out 2' (Which Probably Won't Be Called 'Knives Out 2') Has Begun Filming In Greece
Rian Johnson and his big, exciting cast are officially up and running. The Knives Out sequel, which we're all calling Knives Out 2 until they announce the real title, has begun filming in Greece, sending Daniel Craig's Southern-fried private eye Benoit Blanc to the beautiful location to solve yet another twisty murder mystery. The sequel to the 2019 hit is the first of two new Benoit Blanc films Johnson will direct, both of which are headed to Netflix as part of a huge deal.
Greece, best-known as the setting for the Mamma Mia! movies and nothing else, is soon to be the scene of a crime in the upcoming Knives Out sequel. Rian Johnson took to Twitter to reveal that filming has begun on Knives Out 2, posting a behind-the-scenes pic with the caption, "Aaaaaaaand WE'RE OFF! Day one of filming on the next Benoit Blanc mystery. Thanks to all the lovely patient people here in Greece for letting us do all this murdering on their peaceful shores."
While we still don't know the plot of the sequel, we do know that Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc is back – and he's the only character returning from the first film. This time, Craig will be joined by a new supporting cast that includes Dave Bautista, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Kate Hudson, Madelyn Cline, and Jessica Henwick.
The Knives Out Trilogy
While the first Knives Out film was a theatrical release from Lionsgate, the two sequels are headed to Netflix. The streaming giant signed a huge deal with Rian Johnson, producer Ram Bergman, and star Daniel Craig, with the three of them set to make $100 million each. The deal also gives Johnson complete control over the two sequels – he doesn't have to worry about studio notes or any of that other pesky stuff. The key stipulation for the two upcoming films is that Craig will be in both as Benoit Blanc, and that both films "must have at least the budget of the 2019 movie, which was in the $40 million range."
Knives Out was an utter delight, and talk of a sequel began almost as soon as the original film hit theaters. And while we all loved the star-studded cast of the first film, I love the idea that Craig's character will have a new set of suspects to deal with in each new film. We can only guess which big stars he'll line up for the third film (note: I really hope he casts his Last Jedi player Kelly Marie Tran in the third film; I was holding out hope she'd be in part 2, but it looks like that's not happening). "This'll be another Poirot novel," Johnson said of the potential sequel in the past. "This'll be just like what Agatha Christie did. It's disconnected from Knives Out. It's just another case."