Wake Up Dead Man: Release date, plot news and trailer for Knives Out 3

On a cool winter night, there are few things better than snuggling up with a great murder mystery – and so the news that the third entry in Rian Johnson's Knives Out series is upon us could hardly come at a better time.

Wake Up Dead Man sees Daniel Craig reprise the role of southern sleuth Benoit Blanc, and after previously solving the murder of a renowned novelist and tackling a mysterious case on a luxury private island, we can expect things to get a little darker for his latest case.

That case revolves around the death of a clergyman at a Catholic parish, but the circumstances of the killing are almost as mysterious as the identity of the culprit, and there are even some suggestions of supernatural goings on – or as Mila Kunis's police chief puts it, "Scooby-Doo s**t."

Of course, the new film has a lot to live up to given the popularity of the first two entries, but reviews across the board have been extremely positive – and our own 4-star write-up even suggested that it could be the best of the bunch.

It helps that, as we've come to expect from these films, Johnson has once again assembled a killer ensemble. Those who appear in the cast include Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack and Thomas Haden Church.

But which of them will be the killer? And when can audiences expect to be reunited with Blanc and his iconic Southern drawl? Read on for everything we know about Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery release date

The good news for fans is that it's already possible to watch the film, at least if you live close enough to one of the cinemas where it is currently showing. As with the previous entry, the film has been given a limited theatrical run – and was released in select UK cinemas on Friday 28th November.

If you can't find a showing near you, or you'd simply rather wait to watch it from your living room, then you won't need to be too patient, as the film will arrive on Netflix for streaming on Friday 12th December 2025 , just two weeks after the cinema release.

Rian Johnson has previously expressed his annoyance about the limited theatrical rollout for the movie, writing that he was "frustrated" that it would not be showing on the big screen in more locations, while he previously told Business Insider: "I want this in as many theatres for as long as possible."

And we would agree that the best way to watch the film is on the big screen, so if you do have the means to make it to a screening we'd recommend that as the optimum option!

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery plot – what is Benoit Blanc's latest case?

Unsurprisingly, the film sees Benoit Blanc tasked with solving another puzzling mystery, and this time around he's set to face his "most dangerous case yet", according to Netflix.

It concerns the murder of an intimidating Monsignor (Josh Brolin) at a small Catholic church in upstate New York, with Johnson borrowing from classic locked room mysteries including John Dickson Carr's The Hollow Man to give Blanc a seemingly "impossible" crime to solve.

Meanwhile, this time around it's Josh O'Connor who plays the character who ends up serving as Blanc's confidant on the case, with the Challengers star playing a younger clergyman who initially emerges as the prime suspect of the murder.

The official synopsis reads: "When young priest Jud Duplenticy is sent to assist charismatic firebrand Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, it’s clear that all is not well in the pews.

"Wicks’s modest-but-devoted flock includes devout church lady Martha Delacroix, circumspect groundskeeper Samson Holt, tightly-wound lawyer Vera Draven, Esq, aspiring politician Cy Draven, town doctor Nat Sharp, best-selling author Lee Ross and concert cellist Simone Vivane.

"After a sudden and seemingly impossible murder rocks the town, the lack of an obvious suspect prompts local police chief Geraldine Scott to join forces with renowned detective Benoit Blanc to unravel a mystery that defies all logic."

Of course, to divulge any further information would ruin the watching experience – but suffice to say there are lots of twists and turns in store, and perhaps a darker tone than

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery trailer

If you're eager for just a little more information, you could do a lot worse than checking out the final trailer below – which gives a good idea of the film's tone.

It also gives us a glimpse of some of the star-studded ensemble cast who feature as the various characters, including Mila Kunis, Glenn Close, Jeremy Renner, Andrew Scott and Kerry Washington.

Watch the teaser in full below:

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is released in cinemas on 26th November and coming to Netflix on 12th December. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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