Knives Out Presented an Unusual Challenge for Director Rian Johnson Following Star Wars

Fans of the film-focused podcast Blank Check will recognize the idea behind the phrase it popularized: a filmmaker builds credibility with a series of successful projects, then uses that momentum to pursue more ambitious passions, ideally repeating the cycle with even greater achievements.

Rian Johnson followed a similar path. After earning acclaim for early works such as Brick, The Brothers Bloom, and the sci-fi thriller Looper, as well as directing episodes of Breaking Bad and Terriers, Johnson took the helm of Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi. The film achieved over a billion dollars in revenue and received significant praise, despite dividing audiences.

Instead of continuing in the realm of big-budget franchises, Johnson made a daring shift by creating his own series with Knives Out in 2019. Starring Daniel Craig as the eccentric detective Benoit Blanc, the murder-mystery film was immediately successful, leading to the 2022 sequel Glass Onion and the upcoming installment, Wake Up Dead Man.

Johnson recently shared insights about the challenges faced with the first Knives Out on a podcast. At the time, the murder-mystery genre was seen as a risky choice, and the films relatively contained setting made the project seem modest, especially following the epic scale of Star Wars.

Speaking to journalist Kim Masters on KCRW's The Business podcast, Johnson explained that he approached the trilogy one film at a time. This allowed him to focus on completing the first movie even when others, including close friends, questioned his choice:

"When we made the first Knives Out, we just felt like, 'Can we get away with making this one?' At that time, [the murder-mystery] was considered an old-fashioned genre. People thought the movie seemed kind of small, and even some friends wondered if I wanted to spend my 'Star Wars' credibility on this project. But it was an idea Id been developing, so we decided to see if it could work."

The success of Knives Out led to a $400 million deal with Netflix for the remaining films in the trilogy, validating Johnsons instincts. His decision to pivot toward smaller, contained stories after The Last Jedi continues to bring rewards.

The final chapter, Wake Up Dead Man, will be available on Netflix starting December 12, 2025.

Author: Sophia Brooks