‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ Netflix Release Set for December 23, First Plot Details Revealed
Netflix has confirmed that the highly anticipated Knives Out sequel, Glass Onion, will debut on the streamer on December 23.
The movie will have a limited theatrical run shortly before Christmas, and will make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. British audiences will get the chance to see it early during the BFI Film Festival in October too.
The streamer has also released the first two images from the movie, which stars Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista. Via Netflix, here is the official synopsis for Glass Onion:
“When a tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites some of his nearest and dearest for a getaway on his private Greek island, it soon becomes clear that all is not perfect in paradise. And when someone turns up dead, well, who better than Blanc to peel back the layers of intrigue?”
Writer/director Rian Johnson described the casting process as inviting people to a dinner party:
“You try and invite people that you like. But the reality is you never know. At the end of the day, just trying to get the best actors in each part, the actors that are most right for each individual part. So, you also just throw the dice and hold your breath. Luckily, we got a great group that really meshed.”
Johnson also teased that we’ll be getting more of Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc in the sequel:
“You definitely get to know him a little bit better. In the first one, because of the way it was structured, Marta, Ana de Armas’ character, was very much the protagonist. In a big way, Blanc was the threat. He was almost the antagonist in terms of just the story structure, because you were worried, even as they got closer, that he was going to catch her and he was going to have to turn her over at the end. So Blanc was always outside of the sphere of our protagonist and was a little bit more of an enigma in the first movie. Whereas, in this one, Blanc gets an invitation to come to this murder mystery on this island. We’re very much meeting these people and getting into this world through his eyes.”
He went on to explain the enigmatic title of the movie:
“I’m always fishing for something fun that Blanc can grab onto as an overwrought metaphor that he can beat to death. This is all in plain sight from the very start. So, the idea of glass came to me, something that’s clear. I’ll be very honest. I literally got out my iPhone and searched my music library with the word ‘glass.’ There’s got to be some good glass songs. I was like, ‘Oh, is it a glass fortress? Is it a glass castle? Is it a glass man?’ The first thing that came up, because I’m a huge Beatles fan, is ‘Glass Onion.’”
Glass Onion is not a direct continuation of Knives Out, but rather, another murder mystery featuring Blanc, much like what Agatha Christie used to do with her Hercule Poirot adventures. Johnson said:
“Every single time, she found a way into it that felt unique and fresh, and you could tell it was challenging her creatively.”
He also revealed that, besides Christie’s novels, he found some inspiration in 1982’s Evil Under the Sun too, and in particular, 1973’s The Last of Sheila. Johnson commented:
“There are absolutely some very clear inspirations that I took from it,” he says. “First of all, it’s structured around a group of friends, or frenemies, who all have a power dynamic with one of their successful friends. It begins with him sending an invitation for them to come and play this murder mystery game at this exotic locale. In The Last of Sheila, it’s on his yacht, and everything ends up going horribly wrong. That is essentially how Glass Onion begins.”
Glass Onion will premiere during the Toronto International Film Festival, and will then close up the BFI Film Festival on October 16. A trailer could arrive within the next few weeks. Stay tuned!
Miguel Fernández is a Spanish student that has movies as his second passion in life. His favorite movie of all time is The Lord of the Rings, but he is also a huge Star Wars fan. However, fantasy movies are not his only cup of tea, as authors like Scorsese, Fincher, Kubrick or Hitchcock have been an obsession for him since he started to understand the language of filmmaking. He is that guy who will watch a black and white movie, just because it is in black and white.
