Even though the film didn’t necessarily have the Oscar love that some were expecting, scoring only a Best Original Screenplay nomination, “Knives Out” was one of the most acclaimed films of last year and one of the most surprising box office stories. And in Hollywood, critical love and box office gold means that a sequel is imminent.
In a recent investor’s call (via Deadline), Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer says that the already-rumored sequel to Rian Johnson’s film “Knives Out” is officially going to happen, and it’ll probably get put into production sooner than you might think.
“Knives Out” features an all-star cast led by Daniel Craig playing private investigator Benoit Blanc, as he attempts to solve the mystery of who killed a world-famous author. Set up like a classic Agatha Christie story, “Knives Out” had all the intrigue and mystery fans of the genre would hope for, combined with a heaping helping of humor and subversion, which has become a staple of Johnson’s work.
In addition to the solid reviews (97% on Rotten Tomatoes), “Knives Out” has become a big box office hit for Lionsgate. With a production budget reportedly around $40 million, the near-$300 million worldwide gross for the film is nothing short of great. The studio would be insane to let that sort of box office go unnoticed, especially with a film that could easily be spun-off into a sequel featuring Craig’s character.
No release date has been confirmed, but when the “Knives Out” sequel was originally reported, all signs pointed to the film perhaps getting put into production sometime this year. If that’s the case, then we’re looking at 2021 as a possible return for Benoit Blanc and his mystery-solving skills.