Rian Johnson’s Knives Out is a Box Office Hit; Sequel Announced

Knives Out was one of our favourite films of 2019. The Rian Johnson film is a spectacularly twisty whodunit that harkens back to the golden days of Agatha Christie, yet feels completely fresh and modern. One that tickles your funny bone as much as it titillates your mind. The premise, as most whodunits are, is simple. On the morning after his 85th birthday, the body of a billionaire, Harlan Thrombey is discovered in his bedroom with his throat slit. The doctors first rule it a suicide, but a detective by the name of Benoit Blanc suspects there might be foul play. He begins investigating and interrogating all the members of the Harlan mansion household.

What’s great is that it’s a smaller film that the general movie-going audience appears to dig as much as the critics. This is, of course, reflected in the box office receipts. Knives Out has grossed over $US 130+ million in North America and $US 117+ million outside of North America (including $US 468k in Malaysia), bringing its total to a solid $US 248 million worldwide. This is more than six times its $US 40 million budget. In countries like Malaysia, Knives Out made more money than even Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. 

This is Johnson’s second-biggest hit out of the five films he has directed thus far. The biggest is, of course, Star Wars: The Last Jedi ($US 1.3 billion) and coming in at number 3 is Looper ($US 176 million). 

Naturally, as is the case of today’s cinema landscape, we’re getting a sequel. Rian Johnson has confirmed with The Hollywood Reporter that a Knives Out sequel had been greenlit by Lionsgate. Johnson also noted that he was already working on developing the story which will centre around Detective Benoit Blanc.

When we first meet Benoit Blanc in Knives Out, he’s already an established and popular detective who has even been featured on The New Yorker. The sequel could tread various paths, including detailing Benoit Blanc’s first case. Needless to say, I’m incredibly excited.

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