Daniel Craig Hints at Future as Benoit Blanc Beyond ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ at TIFF 2025
A Knives Out Mystery Continues to Charm Audiences and Stars Alike
Toronto, Canada — Daniel Craig, the acclaimed actor known for his piercing intensity and now, his charming Southern drawl as Detective Benoit Blanc, has hinted that his journey with the eccentric sleuth may not conclude with the upcoming third installment, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE at the film’s premiere during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Saturday, September 6, the 57-year-old star offered a playful yet open-ended response regarding his future in the role.
When pressed if this third outing as Blanc would be his last, Craig quipped with a smile, “Who told you that?” He elaborated, stating that writer-director Rian Johnson “hasn’t written anything” beyond the current film. However, his sentiment clearly leans towards a continuation, expressing immense gratitude for the character: “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.”
Craig’s enthusiasm for the role is palpable, especially following his demanding five-film tenure as James Bond, which concluded with 2021’s No Time to Die. His pivot to the brilliantly quirky Benoit Blanc has been a critical and commercial success, with the first two films, 2019’s Knives Out and 2022’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, captivating audiences worldwide with their intricate plots and star-studded casts.
The decision for further adventures, according to Craig, rests squarely with Johnson. “If [Rian] writes another script and it’s as good as I think it probably will be, then it’s an easy decision,” he affirmed. This echoes Johnson’s own vision for the franchise, which he shared with Variety in 2022: “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.” The director’s commitment to new settings and fresh ensembles for each mystery is a hallmark of the series, ensuring each film feels distinct.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is set to follow this tradition, promising Blanc’s “most dangerous case yet.” The film, which Johnson confirmed the title for in May with a teaser clip on X and later announced had wrapped production with a photo of Craig sporting long hair in character, will arrive in theaters on November 26, followed by a global streaming release on Netflix on December 12.
The film’s world premiere at TIFF saw a constellation of stars joining Craig and Johnson on the red carpet, including Josh O’Connor, Cailee Spaeny, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Kerry Washington, Mila Kunis, Andrew Scott, Daryl McCormack, and Jeremy Renner, underscoring the franchise’s continued appeal to top-tier talent.
As the Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 4 to 14, the buzz surrounding Wake Up Dead Man and the potential for more Benoit Blanc investigations remains a key topic. While Craig is reportedly also eyed for Greta Gerwig’s big-screen adaptation of C. S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia novels, his dedication to the Knives Out universe appears strong, leaving fans eagerly anticipating not just the upcoming mystery, but the possibility of many more to come.
