Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc for the third time in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery final trailer

Actor Daniel Craig is set to appear in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery in his role as the master detective Benoit Blanc in the highly anticipated third installment of Rian Johnson's murder mystery franchise.

Craig once takes on the role of the Southern-fried detective, bringing his trademark mix of dry wit and intelligence for a case teased as his “darkest” and most dangerous yet.

The new film will take Blanc into a seemingly impossible crime set within the walls of a mysterious upstate New York church, continuing the franchise's tradition of star-studded ensembles and complex whodunits.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is scheduled for a limited theatrical release starting on November 26, 2025, before making its global streaming debut on Netflix on December 12, 2025.

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Daniel Craig returns in Rian Johnson's upcoming murder mystery, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Daniel Craig at the Wake Up Dead Man NY Special Screening (Image via Getty)

Daniel Craig's career is defined by two hugely successful and contrasting roles that brought him international fame. His most notable and impactful run was as James Bond, the iconic fictional secret agent. Craig redefined 007, starting with the gritty, grounded 2006 reboot, Casino Royale.

Before playing Bond, Craig garnered attention by featuring in films like the crime thriller Layer Cake (2004) and Steven Spielberg's historical drama Munich (2005).

Following his Bond era, Craig transitioned to another signature role: the flamboyant, Southern-fried private detective Benoit Blanc in Rian Johnson's Knives Out film series. This franchise began with the critically and commercially acclaimed Knives Out in 2019.

The success of the first film led to a lucrative deal with Netflix for sequels, with Craig reprising the role in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) and the upcoming Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025). Craig also shared his thoughts on playing the character in the franchise. In a chat with People magazine, the No Time to Die star stated:

“How lucky am I to get to play something like this? That's all I can think of when I think about this character. I mean, I've played [James] Bond and now I'm suddenly playing Benoit Blanc. It's dumb luck. I'm very lucky.”

Also, director Rian Johnson confirmed he will keep making the Knives Out sequels with new casts and exciting, unique mysteries as long as he and Daniel Craig. Though he didn't confirm a fourth film, he stated the following in an interview with Variety:

“If each one of these can really be what Agatha Christie did, if it can be not just in a totally new location and a new cast, but also trying something exciting, I’ll keep doing it as long as Daniel [Craig] and I are having a good time. I’ll keep making these as long as they let me.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery also features Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church, among other actors.

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Stay tuned for more updates.

Edited by Suchita Patnaha