A Good Murder Mystery Title Matters To 'Knives Out' Director Rian Johnson

Writer and director Rian Johnson is unveiling his third Knives Out mystery movie, Wake Up, Dead Man, which streams on Netflix on December 12.

The film centres around Father Jud Duplenticy, played by Josh O'Connor, who finds himself the prime suspect in a murder amid a small, close-knit Catholic church congregation.

The Knives Out detective from the previous franchise films, Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, turns up to solve the mystery.

Johnson spoke about the process of creating the third film in the franchise. Excerpts from a conversation:

When you're picking titles for films, like the last film Glass Onion , and this one Wake Up, Dead Man -how much are you trying to befuddle the audience just with the title alone?

Well, I mean, you're trying to pick a title that sounds like a good murder mystery title, that sounds a little intriguing but also that hopefully once you see the movie, you're like, "it couldn't have been named anything else". And this movie, I think the title is apropos.

When you're writing these mysteries, do you know who you have in mind for who the cast is?

I try not to, because it's a pathway to heartbreak because in one way, all the actors are excited about being in them. It's still we're going after people who are the busiest people in the world, who are these movie stars so you don't always know if it's going to work out schedule-wise. So, if you've written with somebody deeply ingrained for that part and you can't get them, then that's a heartbreak. I try and write just to the characters. I try and just write an interesting group and then find the best people to play them.

I think last time I interviewed you for Glass Onion , you'd done this script already. How far ahead are you of future installments?

I actually think it's quite important for me not to come up with an idea and start writing it until I know it's going to be the next thing. So it's not like I have a drawer of ideas for these things.

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