TL;DR
- The official trailer for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery has been released.
- The film stars Daniel Craig as detective Benoit Blanc and features a large ensemble cast including Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis and Jeremy Renner.
- Release details: select theatres from November 26, 2025, streaming on Netflix from December 12, 2025.
What does the trailer show — and why it matters?
The trailer opens with flashes of blood, characters, and the death of Catholic priest, Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), who’s at the center of a sprawling parish—with secrets, wealth, and plenty of suspect characters.
Visually the trailer blends the luxurious puzzle-mystery aesthetic of the Knives Out series with darker, gothic undertones: isolated estates, stormy intros, a heavier emotional and thematic weight.
This matters because the trailer establishes that this instalment will lean more ambitious and serious (even “perfectly impossible” crime) than prior entries — signaling a new tone for the franchise. Set with Detective Blanc’s assertion, “A perfectly impossible crime.”
Who’s involved and what to know
The film is written and directed by Rian Johnson, continuing his work on the Knives Out series.
Key cast includes:
- Daniel Craig returning as Benoit Blanc
- Josh O’Connor as Jud Duplenticy
- Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott among others.
Distribution: The film is slated for limited theatrical release on Nov 26, 2025, followed by streaming on Netflix on Dec 12, 2025.
Why this film stands out
- It’s the third major entry in the Knives Out universe and promises to push the genre further: darker tone, richer themes (faith, community, wealth).
- With an ensemble cast and a high-profile production team, it carries serious prestige and expectation.
- The trailer suggests this is not just another whodunit—it’s also a thematic meditation on secrets, institutions and identity.
- Fans of the series get more of the signature clues, misdirection and detective brilliance—but this time with bigger stakes.
