Director Rian Johnson has made clear his preference for a wide theatrical release of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the third film in his popular whodunit series. His comments come as Netflix leadership signals a shift away from traditional moviegoing models.
Johnson, speaking to Business Insider, addressed the distribution plans for the upcoming release. “I want this in as many theaters for as long as possible,” he 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.”
The remarks were prompted by comments from Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, who described the movie theater model as outdated for much of the audience. During an appearance at the TIME100 Summit, Sarandos said, “I believe it is an outmoded idea, for most people — not for everybody.” He acknowledged the appeal of a shared viewing environment but suggested that habits have shifted. “If you’re fortunate to live enough in Manhattan, and you can walk to a multiplex and see a movie, that’s fantastic. Most of the country cannot.”
Johnson responded by noting his continued commitment to theatrical presentation. “Obviously, I don’t [agree], because I love movies. I love going to see movies,” he said. He added that he didn’t wish to engage in a secondhand exchange of views. “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.”
Pointing to recent box office results, Johnson referred to titles like Sinners and A Minecraft Movie as signs of audience interest in theatrical releases. “I think theatrical is not going anywhere,” he said. “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.”
Netflix worked with major U.S. theater chains during the rollout of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, allowing it to play in 600 cinemas nationwide for one week before moving to the streaming platform. The company has not pursued similar partnerships for other titles since then. Its next scheduled theatrical collaboration is with Imax, which will host Greta Gerwig’s Chronicles of Narnia adaptation for two weeks beginning Thanksgiving 2026.
Netflix acquired the rights to two sequels to Knives Out in 2021, both of which are directed and written by Johnson. While Glass Onion received a limited theatrical window, plans for Wake Up Dead Man have not yet been confirmed by the platform.
The new film features the return of Daniel Craig as detective Benoit Blanc. The ensemble includes Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church. A release is expected in the fall, though a precise date has not been announced.
