Rian Johnson wants Netflix to give Wake Up Dead Man a proper theatrical release

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will be released on Netflix later this year, but writer/director Rian Johnson hopes the streaming service will give the sequel a proper theatrical release. It’s not something Netflix does often, and co-CEO Ted Sarandos even recently referred to the traditional theatrical experience as an “outmoded idea.” While speaking with Business Insider, Johnson was asked if he agreed with Sarandos.

“Obviously, I don’t, because I love movies,” Johnson said. “I love going to see movies, but also, I have a feeling talking to Ted, it would be a different thing than one quote taken and kind of tossed at me in this context. So, I don’t want to phrase this as I’m having a proxy discussion with Ted right here.“

However, Johnson added that “theatrical is not going anywhere,” and referred to the recent box office successes of A Minecraft Movie and Sinners. “I think we’ve seen if you put a movie people want to see in the theaters, they are going to show up for it, and that experience of being in a full house and having that experience is so important,” he said. “It’s something that I love and I want more of in the world.“

Netflix did give Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery a limited, one-week theatrical release in roughly 600 theaters, but Johnson hopes that the streaming service will do more for Wake Up Dead Man. “I want this in as many theaters for as long as possible,” Johnson said. “We’re going to push for everything we can get in terms of theatrical, because I want as many people as possible to see it in that form.“

Daniel Craig, the one and only Benoit Blanc, has also expressed a desire for the Knives Out sequels to see a wider theatrical release. “Of course, it saddens me, especially with movies like Knives Out,” Craig said last year. “Like I said, it’s a non-effects movie. It did all the things it should have done, and people went to see it. So, of course, it saddens me that people won’t have that experience. Does it anger me? I don’t think I can go that far. But it saddens me. But we’ll see. I have no idea what the plan is for this third one now, so I don’t know.“

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