No expense is being spared it seems, as Rian Johnson wraps production on his third murder mystery film, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.
This isn’t the first time that a Knives Out story has circulated alongside a very big number, so we’ve definitely been here before. However, just because writer/director Rian Johnson’s popular murder mystery series has managed to deal in pretty eye-watering numbers before, it doesn’t make this latest story and less eyebrow-raising.
According to The InSneider, the budget for Netflix’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery – the third film in Rian Johnson’s murder mystery series – has reached a whopping $210m. Whilst films reaching that level of production budget isn’t uncommon these days, they usually tend to be blockbusters filled with expensive CGI sequences, pricey practical set pieces or both.
Back in 2021, we covered the announcement that Netflix would be paying Johnson $400m for two Knives Out sequels, following the success of the 2019 original (which was a modestly costed feature backed by Lionsgate).
Given that the original film had assembled the series’ trademark starry ensemble (including Daniel Craig, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans and Ana De Armas) and cost around $40m to make, getting $400m to make two more films seemed like a very outsized number.
Should this information prove to be correct though, the next film will have cost five times as much as the first movie. Given that it was shot here in the UK and can apply for tax credits, its production budget will have to be publicly disclosed at some point so we’ll get an accurate figure but it will be some way down the road.
Could this be the most expensive straight to streaming film ever? Time will tell of course, but an interesting question that this report poses is whether this size of production budget is a legacy of Netflix’s old outlook towards film production or evidence that the streamer is still prepared to splash the cash in special instances.
With Dan Lin now running the film division, budgets have been slashed across the film division but David Fincher is said to have just signed a new deal with the streamer and we can’t imagine anybody telling him he has to make films on a budget.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery does feature an incredible cast that includes the returning Daniel Craig as super sleuth, Benoit Blanc. Then there’s Josh Brolin, Josh O’Connor, Jeremy Renner, Cailee Spaeny, Andrew Scott, Kerry Washington, Mila Kunis, Daryl McCormack and Glenn Close.
At least we know where some of that cash went. We’ll bring you more on this upcoming project as we hear it.
