Before “Knives Out” was released in theaters, Rian Johnson was not shy about saying he would love to make a sequel to the film focused on the private detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig. Well, more than a month later, with Golden Globe nominations and a strong box office run, it would appear that the filmmaker will have his wish. Not only that but a sequel to “Knives Out” could be coming pretty soon.
According to THR, Johnson says he’s already developing a sequel to his highly successful murder mystery, focusing on a new crime being investigated by none other than Craig’s Benoit Blanc. No information was given about anything specific regarding the plot or what hijinks the private detective might find himself in, but we do know that the hope from Johnson is that he can begin production in 2020. And if that’s the case, we could be looking at more “Knives Out” in 2021.
Apparently, Lionsgate has yet to give the official greenlight, but if Johnson is able to come up with a good script for the film (and let’s be real, that shouldn’t be difficult considering how well “Knives Out” turned out), then the studio would be stupid not to move forward with another film in the series. With only a $40 million budget (yes, that’s a lot of money, but we’re talking film industry numbers, so relatively speaking, that’s being fiscally responsible), “Knives Out” has already earned just under $250 million worldwide at the box office. And if this pace keeps up, Johnson’s film has a solid shot at eclipsing $300 million after everything is all said and done.
Who would have thought that by the end of 2019, with “John Wick 3” and “Knives Out,” Lionsgate has two strong franchises based on original stories and not reliant on some comic book property (looking at you, “Hellboy”)?
But there’s one other issue that is brought up briefly in the THR report but isn’t really fleshed out properly — where does this leave “Star Wars?” Yes, believe it or not, all the information points to Rian Johnson still developing a new trilogy of films with Lucasfilm set in the galaxy far, far away. But let’s be real — that’s not happening anymore, right?
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If Johnson is truthful with wanting to make a sequel to “Knives Out” in 2020, then that leaves absolutely no room for “Star Wars.” Combine that with the fact that Lucasfilm seems to be in reevaluation mode regarding the sci-fi/fantasy franchise, and it would appear that it’s only a matter of time before we hear news that Johnson and Lucasfilm have parted ways. Perhaps the studio is waiting for a formal announcement of its full “Star Wars” plan before releasing the information about ‘The Last Jedi’ filmmaker stepping away from the franchise?
Honestly, you can’t blame Johnson if he decides to not make a new “Star Wars.” The toxic reception to his previous film in the franchise was likely enough to scare away 99% of filmmakers. Adding to that is the fact that he’s now got the option to develop his own franchise from the ground up, and is there a filmmaker out there that wouldn’t prefer their own IP to working on a major studio’s IP? Just on a creative front, let alone the fact that there’s probably way more money producing your own film than doing work-for-hire on “Star Wars.”
Either way, speculation aside, it would appear that Craig and Johnson have at least one more mystery ahead of them. And if it’s as good as “Knives Out,” then we couldn’t be happier.