Knives Outfranchise creator Rian Johnson addresses his theater hopes and the release window forWake Up Dead Man. Netflix will once again see the whodunit franchise return with the third installment later this year. Like previous installments,Wake Up Dead Manwill primarily comprise a new castof suspects, while Daniel Craig will once again return as the iconic detective, Benoit Blanc. While there have been teasers and the first look of Craig’s new look, Netflix has yet to provide any specific details about its release. In particular, its chances of a theater release are questionable, especially after CEO Ted Sarandos recently called the experience an “outdated concept.”
Recently, in an interview withBusiness Insider, while discussing his returning showPoker Face, Johnson shared his hopes that the thirdKnives Outmovie could end up in as many theaters,sharing that he is pushing for “everything” to make that happen. He also confirmed thatWake Up Dead Manis expected to be released in the fall of this year.
“I want this in as many theaters for as long as possible. We’re going to push for everything we can get in terms of theatrical because I want as many people as possible to see it in that form.”
Earlier in the same interview, Johnson was also asked to comment on Sarandos' statement about the state of theater experiences being “outdated.” While the director didn’t agree, he also acknowledged that he couldn’t respond to just one quote in this context. Nevertheless,Johnson believes that theaters are not going anywhere, especially if a movie generates interest to get people to go.
“Obviously I don’t, because I love movies. I love going to see movies. But also, I have a feeling talking to Ted, it would be a different thing than one quote taken and kind of tossed at me in this context. So, I don’t want to phrase this as I’m having a proxy discussion with Ted right here. I think theatrical is not going anywhere.
I think we’ve seen if you put a movie people want to see in the theaters, they are going to show up for it, and that experience of being in a full house and having that experience is so important. It’s something that I love and I want more of in the world.”
Glass Onion Was Able To Get A Wide Theater Release For One Week
The firstKnives Outmovie was able to get a normal theatrical release, as it remains the only installment not to be distributed by Netflix. Once the streamer nabbed the exclusive rights for the next two sequels, its theatrical chances looked doubtful despite the original installment being critically acclaimed. However,Glass Onionwas able to earn a rare wide theater release, albeit only for one week. However, the sequel was able to generate $15 million at the box office, which was then followed by its streaming release one month later.Glass Onionbecame an instant streaming hit, even landing on Netflix’s Top 10 Most Popular Movies List for a time.
Despite the example withGlass Onion, Netflix has been doubling down on making their movies exclusive to their platform. This comes as Sarandos continues to state that the theater experience is of the past, while streaming is the future. Interestingly, there was a report last year thatCraig was apparently not happy with the release strategy forGlass Onion,saying the"model is f—-d" to the CEO. In November 2024, the star gave a more modest response, stating that the release approach “saddened” him, and elaborated that he had no idea what the plan would be forWake Up Dead Man.
Plus, new releases, likeA Minecraft MovieandSinners, have set the case that people are still interested in going to the theaters in 2025.
Despite Netflix’s stance, there may be some hope forWake Up Dead Manto get a theatrical plan after all. It wasreported that Greta Gerwig’sNarniamoviewould get an IMAX release in 1,000 theaters, which is set to come out on Thanksgiving Day in 2026. Given theKnives Outfranchise’s own history, it’s quite possible that the third installment could be getting a wide theater release. Those details could come to light when Netflix hosts Tudum: A Global Fan Event on May 31 sinceWake Up Dead Manis listed as one of the projects to be getting some updates.
I’m a huge fan of theKnives Outfranchise, and I really hope that Johnson can do everything he can to get a theater release forWake Up Dead Man. I was fortunate enough to seeGlass Onionin theaters, and honestly, that experience was more elevating than streaming because I was able to enjoy the murder mystery with my good friend and other movie lovers.
In addition, there are statistics that movies tend to perform better in theaters than on streaming. In fact, a theater-first release improves a movie’s chances of becoming a bigger hit when it does land on streaming.Glass Onionproved that back in 2022, so I don’t see why this wouldn’t help withWake Up Dead Man. Plus, new releases, likeA Minecraft MovieandSinners, showed that people are still interested in going to theaters in 2025. Thus, I will be watching Netflix’s Fan Event on May 31, and I will cross my fingers that we will get some good news about its theatrical chances.
