Wake Up Dead Man: Benoit Blanc’s Gothic Church Mystery Promises Fresh Take on Whodunit Genre

A New Chapter in the Knives Out Saga

Daniel Craig returns as the iconic detective Benoit Blanc, joined by an impressive ensemble cast including Josh Brolin, Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church.

Release Strategy and Premiere

The film will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2025, followed by a select theatrical release on November 26, 2025, before arriving on Netflix on December 12, 2025.

A Gothic Turn for the Series

The religious setting serves as perfect grounds for a murder mystery, with director Rian Johnson noting that themes of guilt, mystery, morality, and fallible humanity naturally align with the church environment and a man of God at the centre of the story.

Plot and Setting

The story unfolds in a small hamlet in upstate New York, where a young priest named Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) arrives to assist the local priest, Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin). This case represents Blanc’s most personal journey yet, forcing him to engage with both the mystery and himself in unprecedented ways.

Return to Classic Mystery Roots

While maintaining the series’ signature humor and entertainment value, Wake Up Dead Man marks a return to the genre’s origins, drawing inspiration from pre-Agatha Christie works, including Edgar Allan Poe. The film embraces a gothic aesthetic, complete with an old stone church and numerous graveyards.