The Sequel to ‘Knives Out’ Teams Up with Netflix for Forthcoming Release

The first two sequels to the 2019 film, ‘Knives Out’ will start its shooting in Greece in the summers. Daniel Craig is set to come back in the shoes of detective Benoit Blanc.

The movie is currently up for becoming a full-fledged franchise title.

The movie received critical acclamation in recent times for its outstanding performances, direction, and cinematography. The movie was directed by Rian Johnson. The sequels have now landed on Netflix in a whopping nine-figure deal. The shooting of the first sequel will start this summer in Greece with returning casts including Daniel Craig.

Johnson will also be returning to the floor as the director and has also teamed up with Ram Bergman in production collaboration under their T-Street banner. He told the Hollywood Reporter last January that they are in the process of coming out with a sequel.

The first movie that came out in the year 2019 was produced by MRC entertainment with distribution through Lionsgate. The first film of the series was a critical and commercial hit earning a massive box office business of $311.4 million. The budget for the movie was only $40 million. Johnson also garnered a nomination at the Oscars for Best Original Screenplay. Lionsgate and MRC had the rights to the first film only. The sequel rights currently lie with Bergman and Johnson that allows them to take up new future projects as well.

The shopping was a duel across streamers. Netflix made a whopping $400 million-plus deal as per a trusted source. The deal comprises a few other details as well. John retains complete control with Daniel Craig as the only recurring cast. However, there are no set requirements on the budget. The upside had immense potential which was too huge for the filmmakers.

The deal also proves Betflix’s desire or desperation to build and hold on to franchises as the streaming wars take off in full swing. Disney+, packed with Marvel and Star Wars offerings, has come out stronger out of the gate than expected, and HBO Max, with DC and big tentpole offerings, are also fighting hard for a piece of a limited pie. Paramount+, fueled by Star Trek and other brands, will additionally take swings at the dominant streamer. The competition currently is huge. With movie theatres still closed, these streaming platforms are constantly doing their best to stand out among their contemporaries.

The deal may sound good but it has also left some negative feelings. MRC believed it had a controlling stake in Knives Out, seeing as it had financed the initial outing. Lionsgate also played a part in the success by rolling out a successful release strategy.

Knives Out was a critical and commercial success that starred some of the best artists in Hollywood including Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Christopher Plummer, and Toni Collette.

MRC Entertainment is a co-owner of THR through a joint venture with Penske Media titled PMRC.