Rian Johnson opens up about 'Knives Out' sequel

Daniel Craig in Knives Out.
Daniel Craig in Knives Out.

Rian Johnson has already started to tease the now confirmed Knives Out sequel, which Lionsgate officially announced early this week.

Around the release of Knives Out back in November, Johnson confirmed that he would love to make further mysteries featuring Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc, even confirming that he’d started to write a sequel.

Read More: 'Knives Out' sequel is officially on, with possible franchise in the offing

During his recent trip to Sirius XM, Johnson gave a hint about what might be in store for Blanc, revealing that the film will feature a whole new mystery, cast, and locations.

“In my mind I don’t even think of it in terms of a sequel,” Johnson explained. “Ever since we started working on this… look, if we can keep this going, the same way Agatha Christie wrote a bunch of Poirot novels, and then do that with Blanc and keep making new mysteries. Whole new cast, whole new locations. It’s just another Benoit Blanc mystery.”

Rian Johnson attends the 92nd Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon in Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 27, 2020. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Rian Johnson attends the 92nd Academy Awards Nominees Luncheon in Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 27, 2020. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

“It’s not like every single [one of Christie’s mysteries] is a mansion and the family in a library and a detective. She found a very different narrative way into each of them. And just like any movie, you can also thematically attack something totally new with it.”

Read More: 'Knives Out' Sequel Focused on Daniel Craig's Character in the Works

Meanwhile, Johnson also gave a little insight into his process of writing and developing such a story, noting, “There’s a trap you can get into when writing one of these which is to think in terms… to think the attractiveness of it is the cleverness of the solution. And I think that’s actually a trap.”

Instead, for Johnson, “What’s actually satisfying at the end is not who did it and how and why. What’s actually satisfying is the same thing as any other movie, which is there’s a character you’ve been following that you care about, and you’re worried about them, and then at the end in a way that’s really satisfying, you come to a conclusion of their arc.”