Will there be a Knives Out 4? Everything we know so far

Since the release of 2019's Knives Out, fans have been itching for more Benoit Blanc. Happily, sequel Glass Onion was released in 2022, and the third film in the franchise – Wake Up Dead Man – premieres on Netflix on 12th December 2025 following a brief theatrical run (you can read our four-star review).

All three of writer-director Rian Johnson's murder mysteries have received high praise thus far – in no small part down to Daniel Craig's performance as southern-state, cigar-chomping detective Blanc.

Wake Up Dead Man marks the final film in Johnson's Netflix deal, but could there be more Knives Out mysteries on the horizon? Johnson certainly hopes so, having told Variety earlier this year: "I’d be thrilled to keep making these for the rest of my life."

There's one avenue in particular that a large portion of fans on social media have clamoured for – a Knives Out Muppet movie. The suggestion has been for a Muppet Christmas Carol-style take, where Benoit Blanc is the only human in a world of Muppets.

Unfortunately, Johnson shut this idea down in an interview earlier this year with The Hollywood Reporter, saying: "It would feel totally wrong because [the Muppets] would be getting murdered." Interestingly, though, he added that he'd love to do a regular Muppet movie.

All in all, the future of the Knives Out franchise is a little unclear at the moment. With the Netflix deal up, what could the future look like? Read on for everything we know so far.

Will there be a Knives Out 4?

While Netflix acquired the rights to the second and third Benoit Blanc adventures, there has been no agreement beyond that. The first film was made mostly independently and sold to distributor Lionsgate after filming and post-production had been completed – so it's not impossible that a similar method of filmmaking could be employed for a future film if a deal isn't worked out beforehand.

On average, it takes around 18 months from a final draft of the script to release on a Knives Out film, and Johnson revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter at the London Film Festival that so far he's "got nothing" in terms of a plot for a potential future film. Johnson went on to say: "I think it’s good to totally empty the well and then start from scratch on the next one."

Things are still up in the air, but one thing's for sure: no one else but Johnson will be making more Benoit Blanc films. "I don’t see it as IP. Each Knives Out film is something I want to make. If that stops being the case, we won’t do another one," Johnson told Variety earlier this year. Given the man's success so far, this is probably for the best.

When could a Knives Out 4 be released?

2019's original Knives Out released in November, while the two more recent films have released in December 2022 and 2025, respectively. The three-year gap between each film feels like a pattern – so perhaps a Knives Out 4 could come as soon as 2028.

On the other hand, in order to continue the regular releases, writing for Knives Out 4 would have to begin pretty soon – and it doesn't look like anything is in place just yet. The lack of a distributor attached following the end of the Netflix deal will also make things more difficult, while Johnson has expressed his desire to work on a new non-Knives Out project next.

At the moment, any guess is as good as another, but if work begins soon, audiences might be able to expect another film within three or four years.

Who could star in a Knives Out 4?

One of the many highlights of the Knives Out franchise so far has been a rotation of stellar supporting casts. The 2019 original featured Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans and Christopher Plummer (amongst others).

The second and third adventures have featured names like Edward Norton, Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Hugh Grant, Andrew Scott, Jeremy Renner, Glenn Close, Josh O'Connor, Mila Kunis, Jeffrey Wright... and the names just keep going.

A key part of the films is that each one has a totally different supporting cast. Given the high calibre of actors Johnson has used so far, it's likely that any future instalments would go for the same levels of prominence.

And one star is definitely keen to return: Daniel Craig himself. In a recent interview with Gold Derby, the two-time Knives Out Golden Globe nominee said of working with Rian Johnson: "I don't think I see it as a trilogy [...] if we can wind each other up enough, then we'll make another one."

So, while nothing is set in stone just yet, there's definitely a palpable keenness for this franchise to continue. Fingers crossed.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is streaming on Netflix from Friday 12th December 2025. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin.

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