Rian Johnson’s first Knives Out movie was a huge success, and it is officially getting two sequels, though there could be even more. Unlike the first film, however, Lionsgate will not be releasing them. After the success of the 2019 film, Netflix forked over a serious amount of money for the rights so that it could add the Knives Out franchise to its already impressive catalog. Fans can expect the second installment of the whodunit franchise later this year, so here's everything we know so far about Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
What Is Glass Onion's Story?
Knives Out followed Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) as he investigated the death of the Thrombey family patriarch. While the ending of the movie left room for a direct sequel, Knives Out 2 will not directly follow up its predecessor. Even before the success of the first film, Rian Johnson expressed his intent to follow Agatha Christie’s model of Hercule Poirot. Each book followed the detective of her creation, but each was its own separate mystery with a new setting and a new set of characters.
At this point, Netflix has kept Glass Onion's exact plot details tightly under wraps. However, marketing material has revealed that the mystery will be set near the seaside. The film's newly-released trailer showed Daniel Craig's Detective Blanc boarding a yacht on what looked like the Mediterranean Sea, so at least some of the movie will take place on the water. It's also a given that someone (or someones) will end up dead -- after all, it is a murder mystery. Other than that, though, fans are left to speculate ahead of the film's release.
Who Is in Glass Onion's Cast?
Knives Out was headlined by Daniel Craig as the famous Detective Blanc. Alongside him starred a plethora of talented actors, including the likes of Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Shannon. However, as a completely separate story, Daniel Craig will be the only returning cast member. Rest assured, though, because Glass Onion has its own stellar cast, and Dave Bautista has assured everyone that they will play quirky and "colorful" characters. Here are some of the stars joining Craig in the film
As mentioned above, Dave Bautista (who is best known for playing Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and other MCU projects) will be joining the cast as Duke Cody -- a YouTube star and men's rights activist. Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks) will join Bautista as Whiskey, Duke's girlfriend and YouTube channel assistant. Also joining Bautista is Ethan Hawke (Moon Knight), who will play Duke's yet-to-be-named assistant. The famous YouTuber and his gaggle will be joined by a couple of high-class folks. Kathryn Hahn (WandaVision) will play Claire Debella, a Connecticut governor running for Senate. Meanwhile, Kate Hudson (Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon) will play Birdie Jay -- a former supermodel turned fashion designer. Her assistant Peg will be played by Jessica Henwick (The Matrix 4).
Speaking of high-class, Edward Norton (The French Dispatch) is also in the cast, playing a tech billionaire named Miles Bron. Next up are Janelle Monáe (Hidden Figures) and Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton). Monáe will play Cassandra "Andi" Brand, and Odom Jr. will play Lionel Toussaint -- and both have connections to Miles Bron. Brand is a tech entrepreneur and Miles's ex-business partner, while Toussaint is a scientist who still works with the billionaire. Undoubtedly, those connections will be important when Detective Blanc starts to unwind the film's murder mystery.
Does Glass Onion Have a Trailer and Release Date?
After years of delays and waiting because of the Covid-19 Pandemic, Glass Onion finally has a trailer. Unfortunately, it doesn't reveal much in terms of plot. Other than showing Detective Blanc and the rest of the cast on a yacht, there is little to garner from the trailer. However, there is one thing worth noting. Blanc talked about people expecting a puzzle, and there were a number of puzzles and games in the trailer. Maybe that's indicative of a twisting and turning mystery movie, or perhaps, there will be some kind of physical puzzle that will help him solve the case.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story will release on Netflix on December 23. It will also release at select theaters during the holiday season. If the original film is anything to judge by, Glass Onion will attract a large audience. So, there's little reason to doubt that Netflix will regret its decision to acquire the franchise.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.