'Wake Up Dead Man' Trailer: Josh O'Connor Joins Benoit Blanc's Weirdest Case Yet
You can feel it in the first seconds - the new trailer doesn't tiptoe in. Josh O'Connor (movies and tv series)'s priest stares at his hands. They're slick with blood. And suddenly we're back in the Benoit Blanc (movies and tv series) headspace where everyone's lying, even to themselves.
Rian Johnson (movies and tv series)'s third Knives Out entry brings Daniel Craig (movies and tv series)'s Southern sleuth to a remote parish, where a local giant - Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin (movies and tv series)) - turns up dead. O'Connor plays Father Jud Duplenticy, a former boxer turned man of the cloth, who's immediately in the blast zone. Mila Kunis (movies and tv series) shows up as the town's police chief and says the quiet part out loud: the priest had motive, opportunity, and was the last one onstage with the victim.
But this is Benoit Blanc. Nothing is that neat. The footage leans hard into the Craig-O'Connor pairing, and it pops - playful, prickly, a little brotherly. Early trade chatter (THR's David Rooney among them) says the chemistry isn't just trailer-cutting magic; it holds.
The ensemble's loaded in that very Rian Johnson way: Glenn Close (movies and tv series), Jeremy Renner (movies and tv series), Andrew Scott (movies and tv series), Cailee Spaeny (movies and tv series), Kerry Washington (movies and tv series), Daryl McCormack (movies and tv series) and Thomas Haden Church (movies and tv series) all get quick, tense moments that feel like clues you'll want to rewind. It's stylish without showing off, character-first, and just odd enough to keep you guessing.
Why this matters (especially if you cover movie news)
This is the first Knives Out since Netflix bought the franchise in 2021, and Johnson's clearly timing it for awards consideration - just like Glass Onion's splashy run. He's already landed two screenplay Oscar nominations across the first two entries, and this one looks like a swing: a priest in the crosshairs, a small town simmering, and Blanc nudging secrets into the light.
Here's what that could mean: a bigger theatrical bow to build buzz, a quick shift to streaming to feed the global audience, and a season-long campaign that keeps Benoit Blanc in the conversation. If you're programming, covering FYC, or tracking audience appetite for smart mysteries, keep an eye on the early word.
The essentials
- Title: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
- Writer/Director: Rian Johnson
- Starring: Daniel Craig, Josh O'Connor, Mila Kunis, Glenn Close, Jeremy Renner, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Kerry Washington, Daryl McCormack, Thomas Haden Church, Josh Brolin
- Release: In theaters Nov. 26; streaming on Netflix Dec. 12
One more thing: Netflix has a primer on the film and how it fits into the Benoit Blanc saga if you want the official line and assets. Find the Tudum overview here.
Note: A trailer video is available below. The player will be added automatically after this article.
Look, maybe it's just timing - we're overdue for a mystery that feels fun and mean at the same time. But the cuts here suggest Johnson's pushing the weirdness while keeping the screws tight. If you cover this beat, expect the question to shift from "whodunit" to "how far will it go" pretty fast.
