Netflix has begun to unravel the mystery behind writer-director Rian Johnson’s highly anticipated thirdKnives Outfilm,Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. At this point, not many details have been revealed about the story or thecharacters inWake Up Dead Man. Fortunately, after months of keeping the film’s big secrets hidden from the public, Netflix finally released a teaser trailer that hints at some details about the story for the nextKnives Outsequel.
The teaser forthe upcomingWake Up Dead Manis brief and very enigmatic, keeping major and explicit details about Johnson’s next movie a mystery. However, despite revealing very little about the film, the teaser has several huge implications about where the story is set, what the characters will experience, and even what the killer’s motivations are. All in all, the teaser forWake Up Dead Manhints at a film unlike anything seen before in theKnives Outfranchise, making for another exciting murder mystery movie.
The Teaser For Knives Out 3 Is A Mystery In Itself
The official X (formerly Twitter) account forWake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mysteryposted a teaser trailer for the film. Instead of presenting any characters or revealing plot points for the film,the teaser only features a 12-second video of a church, and thefootage is very uneventful. Throughout this brief shot, the camera merely pans up to show the full height of this mysterious church with a bell ringing in the background. The video doesn’t even end with a title drop or a release date for the film. Check out the teaser below:
Accompanying the film’s teaser trailer is a message that reads:“The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers, but the root of the righteous endures.“The post does not cite the source of this quote, making the movie’s teaser odd, ambiguous, yet eerie. Nevertheless,the trailer succeeds in building hype for Benoit Blanc’s next big casewhile revealing very little about it, as there is surely another huge mystery waiting to be unveiled in the film.
Knives Out 3’s Teaser Quote Is A Bible Verse
Knives Out 3’s Teaser References Scripture And Hints At Many Secrets
Fitting with the church presented in the video,the cryptic text featured inWake Up Dead Man’s teaser is taken straight from Proverbs 12:12. The biblical passage says that while evil people commit evil deeds to benefit themselves, only righteous actions will have a positive, lasting impact. Since theKnives Outfranchise has largely centered around amoral rich people with at least one greedy murderer among them, this passage seems to fit well into the marketing for the third film while also hinting at the moral ofWake Up Dead Man’s story.
While the use of Proverbs 12:12 may convey the message of the film’s story, it may be carrying another hidden message as well.The specific Bible verse may be a secret announcement for the film’s release date,saying it will premiere on the 12th of December: the 12th month of the year. Writer-director Rian Johnson stated thatWake Up Dead Manwasexpected to premiere in the fall of 2025,and December 12th falls within that season, so the numbers associated with the teaser’s Bible verse may not be just a coincidence.
Knives Out 3’s Teaser Suggests A Church Is The Main Location
A Church Is A Distinctive New Setting For The Knives Out Franchise
The fact that the teaser forWake Up Dead Manfocuses on a church implies that this place of worship will be the main setting for the film’s story.Netflix has already shared a behind-the-scenes shotofDaniel Craig and co-star Josh O’Connorin character in a church set forWake Up Dead Man. It now seems that said church will be the site of the latest murder that Benoit has been brought in to investigate.
The film’s church setting alone should helpWake Up Dead Manstand out in the franchise, as the first twoKnives Outmovies took place in lavish mansions.Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mysterywas even set in a mansion on a private island, taking the franchise’s uber-rich characters to a whole new level. By focusing on a church,the teaser implies thatKnives Out 3will break away from the trend set by its predecessorsby having the story take place in a church.
Wake Up Dead Man’s eerie but mysterious trailer has teased a movie that will be a unique addition to theKnives Outfranchise for several reasons. For one thing, the church setting should give the movie a more Gothic and classical look and feel than previousKnives Outfilms. The emphasis on religion in the teaser is also very unusual for the franchise, suggesting that the killer ofWake Up Dead Manis motivated by moral principles, rather than a desire for financial gain, as seen in the last two films.
IfWake Up Dead Mandoes take place in a church, then the story would likely push the wealthy characters farther out of their comfort zones than previous films have, even after one of the characters turns up dead.
Likewise, the church setting will help the film stand out by placing its cast of characters outside a luxurious environment. In the first twoKnives Outmovies,the rich characters were depicted living within their bubble of wealthas they tried to enjoy themselves in lavish mansions. IfWake Up Dead Mandoes take place in a church, then the story would likely push the wealthy characters farther out of their comfort zones than previous films have, even after one of the characters turns up dead.
The 12-second trailer seems to reveal a lot about the film’s story without showing or saying much about it. After following Benoit through opulent mansions in the first two films, it seems theKnives Outfranchise will do something different by having him investigate a crime at the church presented in the teaser.
If this turns out to be the case, this should put both Benoit and his suspects in an unfamiliar situation by taking them away from a more luxurious environment inWake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. This could help present a fresh viewing experience for audiences familiar with the franchise, all while setting up a story that could surprise viewers like previousKnives Outmovies have.
