Netflix has released the first full trailer for the third film in Rian Johnson’s hit mystery franchise, officially titled “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” with Daniel Craig back as Southern sleuth Benoit Blanc for what is billed as his darkest and most dangerous case yet. The film will debut in select theaters on November 26 before arriving on Netflix on December 12, 2025, continuing the streamer’s hybrid release strategy for prestige titles.
A Dark New Chapter for Benoit Blanc
Unlike the sun‑drenched opulence of “Glass Onion,” the new trailer plunges Blanc into a stark, Gothic small‑town setting steeped in religion, ritual and secrets. Netflix and Johnson are teasing a tonal shift toward a more ominous, morally charged mystery, with the detective himself calling the crime a “perfectly impossible” case that pushes him beyond anything he has experienced before.
The story unfolds in a tight‑knit religious community where faith, power and fear collide, setting the stage for a whodunit that leans into locked‑room puzzle tradition while interrogating the myths people build around miracles and martyrdom.
The “Impossible” Church Murder at the Center
At the heart of “Wake Up Dead Man” is the death of Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, played by Josh Brolin, whose apparent “miracle” turns into a nightmare. In the trailer, the priest delivers a fiery sermon before walking in full view of the congregation into a sealed concrete chamber, only to be discovered dead inside moments later in what Blanc dubs a murder “dressed as a miracle.”
This locked‑room setup, with no obvious way in or out and an entire church as witness, creates the series’ most overt homage yet to classic Golden Age puzzle mysteries while promising a contemporary twist on how communities cling to—or exploit—stories of the divine.
Star‑Packed Ensemble Cast Revealed
The new footage also showcases the latest star‑studded ensemble surrounding Craig, a hallmark of the “Knives Out” series. Joining him are Josh O’Connor as young priest Jud Duplenticy, Glenn Close as devout church power‑broker Martha Delacroix and Thomas Haden Church as wary groundskeeper Samson Holt, each introduced with just enough edge to suggest motive.
The cast also includes Kerry Washington as sharp attorney Vera Draven, Daryl McCormack as ambitious politician Cy Draven, Cailee Spaeny as concert cellist Simone Vivane and Andrew Scott as enigmatic author Lee Ross, all presented as potential suspects orbiting the dead Monsignor and the secrets of the parish.
Mila Kunis and Jeremy Renner in Key Roles
The trailer confirms that Mila Kunis plays Police Chief Geraldine Scott, the local law‑enforcement leader who brings in Blanc and becomes his uneasy ally inside a town bristling with suspicion. Jeremy Renner appears as Dr. Nat Sharp, the town doctor whose medical expertise—and proximity to the body—put him close to both the investigation and its potential cover‑ups.
Both roles expand the franchise’s pattern of pairing Blanc with a grounded insider while also seeding a roster of characters with institutional power—law, medicine, church and politics—who may be complicit in what the detective describes as a conspiracy far larger than a single murder.
Tone: Funnier, Darker, and More Unsettling
While the trailer is packed with tension, Johnson’s trademark streak of mordant humor remains intact, with Blanc delivering wry one‑liners even as he insists he is “incapable of not solving a crime.” Early reactions from advance screenings have described the film as simultaneously funnier and more unsettling than its predecessors, using its religious backdrop to explore shifting lines between “good” and “evil.”
The imagery leans heavily into candlelit churches, storm‑lashed graveyards and shadowy confessional booths, signaling a stylistic swing toward Gothic noir while keeping the brisk, clue‑packed pacing that helped turn the first two films into streaming juggernauts.
Release Plan and Franchise Momentum
“Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” is the third entry in the franchise after 2019’s “Knives Out” and 2022’s “Glass Onion,” both written and directed by Johnson and anchored by Craig’s now‑iconic portrayal of Benoit Blanc. The new film will follow a limited theatrical run from November 26, giving fans a chance to experience the mystery on the big screen before rolling out globally on Netflix on December 12, 2025.
For Netflix, the trailer signals continued confidence in the Knives Out universe as a marquee, star‑driven IP, while for audiences, it sets up a holiday‑season event movie with a darker edge—and a seemingly impossible church murder that promises to test whether Blanc’s investigative streak truly has any limits.
