It’s been confirmed that a sequel to the Oscar-nominated Knives Out is officially in the works.
Lionsgate is already planning a follow-up to its critically acclaimed whodunnit film, starring James Bond star Daniel Craig as Southern private investigator Benoit Blanc.
Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer revealed on February 6 that the studio will have production due to start soon, according to Deadline.
The 2019 movie, which follows the murder of a wealthy novelist, has become a critical and commercial success since its recent release and is nominated for the Best Screenplay Oscar.
In it, the character will investigate a new case, and the director has added that Craig is keen to return to the role.
Asked whether he’d like to star in a Knives Out sequel, Craig told Entertainment Weekly: “Sure. I’d be over the moon. I mean, I’d do anything for Rian. If he writes something, I’ll do it. Of course, I will. Why wouldn’t I? I had a ton of fun doing it.”
The movie has grossed £190.7 million ($247 million) worldwide on a £30.8 million ($40 million) budget
In NME’s four-star review of Knives Out, we called it a “very clever, murder-mystery, packed with big stars, big laughs and – from Daniel Craig in particular – some very big acting”.
Meanwhile, star Ana de Armas has admitted she almost turned down the role of Marta Cabrera, a Latina immigrant who acts as a carer.
The actress revealed that the original character description of “Caretaker, Latina, pretty” wasn’t to her taste initially.
“I’ve seen that before,” she said. “‘Latina’, I have no problem with, because I’m Cuban and very proud to be Cuban. But that [description] didn’t say anything to me. There’s no information at all about her character.”
However, after reading the script she realised that Cabrera was a central character in the film, de Armas adding: “She’s the one who knows all the secrets and who’s actually mourning the death of her friend.
“I had so much to play with. Rian [Johnson, director] gave me all the tools to make it work.”