Saturday, September 6, saw director Rian Johnson and his stellar ensemble soar into the Princess of Wales Theatre for the world premiere of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. TIFF audiences erupted in cheers as Johnson bellowed “Can I get an ‘Amen?’” to kick off the screening, setting a rapturous tone for the night.
Johnson has teased a darker edge to this third Benoit Blanc adventure. Speaking to Deadline, he explained that “themes of guilt, mystery, morality, and fallible humanity all feel right at home in a church, with a man of God in the center of the mix,” nodding to Edgar Allan Poe as inspiration for the film’s gothic atmosphere.
After the lights went down, the packed house gave the all-star cast—Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Andrew Scott, Daryl McCormack, and Cailee Spaeny—a standing ovation during the Q&A. Craig reflected on the trilogy’s evolution: “Like most things in this business it’s a constant surprise. We made it with no ambition whatsoever. Just let’s do the best movie we can. And it became something, and then here we are.”
With a limited theatrical release on November 26 and a Netflix bow on December 12, Wake Up Dead Man is already generating buzz as TIFF’s most talked-about whodunit. According to Variety, audiences are counting down the days to see how Benoit Blanc untangles his most perilous—and pious—mystery yet.
Mila Kunis
Jeremy Renner
Photos by Nick Lee
