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The first Wake Up Dead Man pic is here from Rian Johnson, and Daniel Craig smolders as Benoit Blanc

To solve a murder, one first has to slay

Image credit: Rian Johnson, X

The real mystery of Wake Up Dead Man is going to be how Benoit Blanc keeps getting more attractive.

Rian Johnson took to social media June 10 to declare it the first day of filming for the third Knives Out film, and with the announcement came our first set pic of Benoit Blanc. Here's the post:

Image credit: Rian Johnson, X

And I'm sure I don't need to tell you what's in the comments.

Exciting as the new look may be, it's perhaps even more thrilling to think that the film is in production now. But even more than that, as fans paying attention to all the Wake Up Dead Man news might tell you, is the moody, film-noir vibe you get from this photo.

On the day the Wake Up Dead Man title was announced, Rian Johnson took to Twitter to expound on the film from a tonal point of view. "I love everything about whodunnits," writes the director, "but one of the things I love most is how malleable the genre is. There’s a whole tonal spectrum from Carr to Christie, and getting to explore that range is one of the most exciting things about making Benoit Blanc movies."

Perhaps I'm just reading into it, but this black-and-white image of a solitary Blanc in front of a bare set speaks to a darker tone than the first two films. It wouldn't shock me if a master storyteller like Johnson was setting the stage for exactly that kind of movie, even in just the first image.

Or maybe I'm just looking for an excuse to keep staring at this photo.

Wake Up Dead Man releases sometime in 2025.


Dying for more murder? Here's everything we know about Wake Up Dead Man.

Grant DeArmitt

Grant DeArmitt: Grant DeArmitt (he/him) likes horror, comics, and the unholy pairing of the two. He has written for Nightmare on Film Street and Newsarama, despite their better judgement. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kelsey, and corgi, Legs.

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