Almost as soon as the credit sequence of Knives Out began to roll, fans were clamoring for a sequel. The murder mystery, helmed by Rian Johnson (Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Looper) proved that original films were still extremely profitable – and that Daniel Craig could do one hell of a Southern accent. Now that Knives Out 2 (a colloquial title, since no official moniker has been released) has completed filming, fans have been eagerly waiting for any updates on the new installment. Luckily for them, Daniel Craig was all too happy to oblige.
Daniel Craig has been pretty busy lately. Not only did he star in the latest Bond film No Time to Die, which will mark his last appearance as Agent 007, but he also just finished filming Knives Out 2. In an interview with Empire, he found time in his busy schedule to give fans a quick update on the highly anticipated sequel to Knives Out. According to none other than Benoit Blanc himself, the movie is noticeably different from its predecessor – but in a decidedly good way. Craig said:
I’m so lucky to have Rian [Johnson] in my life. He’s such a great writer. That script arrived and I was literally like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ I couldn’t believe that he wanted me to play it. I was going, ‘It says Southern accent you went here. Really?’ And he’s like, ‘Yeah?’ We’ve just finished the second one, literally weeks ago. They’ve just wrapped up in Serbia. Dare I say it’s better? We’ll see. I don’t want to tempt fate. It’s different, and that’s the amazing thing. It’s still a Benoit Blanc mystery, but it’s very different. I’m very excited about it.
With Rian Johnson returning as both director and screenwriter, Daniel Craig’s prediction seems more accurate than not. Part of what made the original Knives Out so memorable was its fresh, unpredictable script that evaded our guesses at every turn. It even garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
While collaboration is integral to creating art, there’s something to be said for the cohesion that comes from a writer directing their own script. Rian Johnson’s singular vision helped Knives Out become a worldwide success, and that clarity is sure to be a point in favor of Knives Out 2. That, of course, and Daniel Craig’s wonderfully bonkers Southern accent. It’s the little things in life.
Knives Out 2 does not have a set premiere date, but it will presumably hit theaters in 2022. In addition to Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc, the ensemble cast includes Kathryn Hahn, Edward Norton, Dave Bautista, Janelle Monáe, Leslie Odom Jr., Kate Hudson, and Ethan Hawke in undisclosed roles.