Netflix released the first trailer for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, giving fans a look at Daniel Craig’s return as Benoit Blanc in what Rian Johnson calls the darkest chapter yet.
Wake Up Dead Man hits select theaters on November 26 before streaming on Netflix on December 12.
Netflix Sets Up Blanc’s Most Dangerous Case
The new trailer highlights that this isn’t a typical Blanc investigation. The detective calls the case “perfectly impossible” as he arrives in upstate New York to solve an inexplicable death inside a tight church community.
Johnson says this was the hardest script he’s written, signaling a heavier tone for the third installment after Knives Out and Glass Onion.
A Church Community in Crisis
The story centers on Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor), a former boxer turned priest sent to assist Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin). Their parish is filled with tension long before the murder hits.
The congregation includes:
- Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close),
- Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church),
- Vera Draven (Kerry Washington),
- Cy Draven (Daryl McCormack),
- Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner),
- Lee Ross (Andrew Scott),
- Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny).
When someone dies in front of the entire parish, local police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) calls in Blanc to pick the situation apart.
Rian Johnson Leans Into Dark Comedy
O’Connor says the balance between Johnson’s comedy and the script’s sharper edge is what drew him to the role. Kunis even jokes in the trailer that some “Scooby-Doo shit” is happening, framing the movie’s mix of humor and tension.
Johnson is aiming for a more serious mystery, but Blanc’s charm still drives the tone as he navigates secrets, feuds, and a growing sense of danger.
Release Dates
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
- In select theaters: November 26
- Streaming on Netflix: December 12
Watch the trailer:
