In 2019, Rian Johnson teamed up with actor Daniel Craig and a cast full of Hollywood A-listers to make one of the biggest murder mystery films of the last few years in Knives Out, earning rave reviews in the process.
Johnson now has the opportunity to move this story forward into a second movie, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, premiering on Netflix just ahead of Thanksgiving 2022. Craig will be back in play as Detective Benoit Blanc, and he'll once again be joined by an incredible supporting cast, including four past Marvel actors in Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Jessica Henwick, and Edward Norton.
On top of giving an update on his Star Wars trilogy ahead of Glass Onion's worldwide debut on November 23, Johnson also revealed that Craig's Detective Blanc is gay, adding a new level of representation to the franchise in an era where diversity is a bigger focus than ever before.
And in a recent round of press for his second movie in the franchise, the director took a dive into where that reveal could go in a potential Knives Out 3 down the road.
Knives Out 3 Tackling Detective Blanc's Sexuality?
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery director Rian Johnson spoke with Above the Line about Daniel Craig's Detective Benoit Blanc being revealed as gay.
He noted how the second movie in his series explicitly reveals Blanc's sexuality but confirmed that the story is "not really about the detective’s sexuality."
Johnson did tease that Craig's character being gay will "come into play because it’s a big part of who he is" in future stories, which could come with a Knives Out 3 should it go into development:
“If you watch the movie, I think it’s made explicit. In terms of exploring it, I mean, maybe, but with these movies, I mean, they’re not really about the detective’s sexuality. [But] it’s baked into the genre a little bit [when] the detective is kind of set outside the realm of the human drama that’s going on with the rest of the suspects, so I’m sure it’ll come into play because it’s a big part of who he is, obviously. It’s just a fact about his character.”
Johnson also discussed the potential of spoilers from his latest movie leaking ahead of its release, sharing his feelings on how people want to "maintain those surprises" and enjoy them as "part of the experience" of seeing the film:
“There’s a perception that everything leaks online, but I think for someone who’s just casually online, I think generally people see a movie and they like the experience, and part of the experience is enjoying the surprises. They’re gonna wanna maintain those surprises for their friends and everything.”
The director also addressed the movie's potential box office haul with Knives Out 2 releasing on Netflix, hoping that the first week in theaters "is really successful" and incites people to tell their families about it:
“What I’m hoping for is that our theatrical week is really successful and people go see it and have that experience, and [then] they go home to their families at Christmas and say, 'Oh, you haven’t seen this, you’ll love it,' and put it on. So I’m hoping it’s the best of both worlds and people watch it in the theaters and watch it at home, just like I did growing up with home video, you know?
Daniel Craig's Hero Ready to Shine in Knives Out 3
Representation has become more and more prevalent in this day and age with movies and TV shows, as shown in major franchises like the MCU and the DCU. This continues to be the case with movies like Knives Out 2, which will use Detective Blanc's sexuality to help push his character development forward.
The first movie largely focused on the mystery at hand for Daniel Craig and his co-stars as they eventually arrested Chris Evans' Ransom Drysdale for murder. But this time around, Craig should have more of a chance to dive into his own character rather than focusing on the main plot, allowing his sexuality to be recognized at some point during the story.
But with Knives Out 3 still being unconfirmed at this time, there are still plenty of details to work out for the rest of the story once Rian Johnson is finished with his current endeavor.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is set to debut in theaters for one week on November 23, and it will arrive on Netflix on December 23.
