Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery director Rian Johnson jokingly reveals his refusal to let any former franchise stars return for future Knives Out sequels. The enormous success of 2019's Knives Out quickly spurred on calls for a sequel, after the film introduced Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc, a detective at the center of a puzzling murder mystery. Glass Onion sees Craig return to solve another murder, alongside a brand new star-studded ensemble cast that includes Kate Hudson, Edward Norton, Kathryn Hahn, Janelle Monáe, Dave Bautista, Jessica Henwick, and Madelyn Cline.
Following a brief theatrical release over the Thanksgiving holiday, Glass Onion will land on Netflix later this week. In anticipation of its streaming release, Johnson and Craig spoke with Knives Out star Jamie Lee Curtis playfully berating Johnson for not including her in Glass Onion, Johnson joked that he can't bring back anyone as it would then lead to his other former stars asking to return also. Check out Craig and Johnson's responses below.
Is there a chance that former stars could come back?
Craig: No! Let’s say now, no!
Johnson: If we do it for one we'll have to do it for all of them and then Kathryn Hahn will be on our ass, it’ll be a whole thing.
Everything We Know About Knives Out 3
Given the immense response that Knives Out received from audiences, it's not surprising that former stars are keen to return as Johnson continues to expand upon the Knives Out universe. Netflix's acquisition of the rights for Knives Out came in 2021 with the plan to create two sequels, the first being Glass Onion and then a second sequel that is now in its earliest stages of development. As for when Knives Out 3 will be released, a date has not been confirmed at this time, though it is not expected to release until 2024 at the earliest.
In regard to what will happen within the events of Knives Out 3, Johnson is still working this out himself. The director recently revealed his plans to begin working on properly piecing together the story of Knives Out 3 in the new year, and that he has been keeping notes in a notebook that he carries with him everywhere. Given that Glass Onion's story is its own separate entity from Knives Out, it's reasonable to see why there isn't a huge possibility of former stars returning. With Craig's Benoit Blanc acting as the common thread, Knives Out 3 is expected to continue the trend of centering around a whole new cast and story.
Johnson's reasoning for not letting former Knives Out stars return is hilarious, though the director is sure to disappoint a number of his stars who have expressed their interest in returning. Most recently, Glass Onion star Hudson revealed that she is hoping to reprise her role in Knives Out 3, although now her chances aren't looking great. While Johnson's comments are purely lighthearted, it's likely that Knives Out 3 will not feature any returning Knives Out or Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery stars in major roles. There is always the possibility of a cameo, though.
Source: On Demand Entertainment
