Starring Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will open the 69th BFI London Film Festival running from the 8th to 19th October.
The 69th BFI London Film Festival (8th-19th October), in partnership with American Express, has announced that this year’s Opening Night Gala will be the eagerly anticipated International Premiere of the Netflix Film Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, by director Rian Johnson, at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall.
Daniel Craig returns to his role as the famed private detective Benoit Blanc for his most dangerous case yet. This time around, Blanc unravels a brand-new murder mystery in an as-yet-undisclosed setting, surrounded by a colourful new cast of suspects. The ensemble cast, including Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church, delivers layered, engaging performances that deepen the story’s intricate web of motives and mysteries. Under Johnson’s direction, each actor finds space to shine, contributing to the film’s dynamic character interplay and tonal precision.
Wake Up Dead Man, (L-R) Josh O’Connor and Daniel Craig in Wake Up Dead Man. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
With Wake Up Dead Man, Johnson continues to evolve his singular approach to storytelling, thoughtfully expanding the foundation laid by Knives Out and Glass Onion. Produced by Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman’s T-Street, this third instalment balances tightly woven plotting with sharp observational humour and deepens the emotional and narrative complexity of the series. His direction reveals a storyteller who reveres the genre’s traditions while confidently reshaping them through his own bold creative lens.
The International Premiere of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery builds on Johnson’s track record of crafting films that resonate with both audiences and critics and marks a return to the LFF by the popular film series written, directed and produced by Rian Johnson.
Director/Writer /Producer of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Rian Johnson, said, “We’re honoured to be opening the BFI London Film Festival with Wake Up Dead Man. London is the birthplace of the golden age of detective fiction, and it’s a thrill to be back!”
Kristy Matheson, BFI London Film Festival Director, said: “At this 69th edition of the BFI London Film Festival, we are inviting audiences to get their spyglass at the ready as we get back on the case with another deliciously fun mystery from director Rian Johnson and his all-star cast with Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Led by Daniel Craig and Josh O’Connor, the film features incredible British and international talent on and off screen who bring a sense of play and verve to the screen, to craft a film that twists, turns and will keep audiences guessing to the final frame. This is the third of the brilliant Knives Out films we have presented at the LFF, and we are delighted to reunite for our special Opening Night.”
Follow Us