Filmmaker Rian Johnson has finally revealed the official title of Knives Out 2, the sequel to his critically successful 2019 film.
On social media, Johnson discussed how he was inspired by legendary mystery novelist Agatha Christie to stretch the structure of a whodunnit story and incorporate elements of other genres. "When I made Knives Out," he explained, "That’s what excited me about the prospect of making more mysteries with Daniel [Craig] as Benoit Blanc - to emulate Christie and have every film be like a whole new book, with its own tone, ambition, reason for being… and (ta dah) title." He then revealed the sequel will be titled Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and is expected to release this holiday season on Netflix.
While the phrase "glass onion" originally referred to a specific kind of wine bottle, it has become more famous as a song by The Beatles from their 1968 self-titled album colloquially referred to as "The White Album." John Lennon included many references to prior Beatles songs in the lyrics and said he wrote it to confuse people who read too much into the band's songs. What this could mean for Benoit Blanc's next mystery is unknown at this time, but it seems the film's official title may be teasing fans.
Released in 2019, Knives Out was a murder mystery feature starring Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc, "the last of the gentlemen sleuths," as he investigates the purported suicide of wealthy mystery novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) on the eve of his 85th birthday. The film was a success critically and financially and netted Johnson an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. A sequel was announced in February 2020, with Netflix buying the distribution rights for Glass Onion and another untitled sequel for $469 million in March 2021.
Like its predecessor, Glass Onion boasts a full cast of A-list actors surrounding Craig. Already confirmed for the sequel are Dave Bautista, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Kate Hudson, Madelyn Cline, Jessica Henwick and Ethan Hawke. Filming for the sequel primarily took place in Greece during Summer 2021.
Johnson is also known for his other crime films Brick, The Brothers Bloom and Looper, as well as some of the best-regarded episodes of Breaking Bad. He made waves with 2017's Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and while the film was met with backlash from some fans, it was well-received enough that Lucasfilm commissioned a new trilogy of Star Wars films to be written and helmed by Johnson. Despite changes in the company's approach to releasing content, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy recently confirmed that Johnson's project was still in development.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is set to release this holiday season on Netflix.
Source: Twitter