Rian Johnson, Josh O’Connor and Daniel Craig discussed how the first act changes in Knives Out 3, better known as Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, support the film’s focus on religion and morality.
O’Connor also told Blavity/Shadow and Act Managing Editor Trey Mangum during our cast interview that he felt “very supported” by writer/director Johnson when it came to starting the film in its first act.
Unlike other Knives Out films, in which Craig’s detective character Benoit Blanc gets right into the case, Wake Up Dead Man has us follow the cast of suspects for much longer before the mystery–and Benoit–are actually introduced.
O’Connor said that he approached the role by understanding the needs and wants of his character Father Jud Duplenticy, especially as a priest trying to lead his flock of parishioners.
“[The] key to this story are those kind of earlier scenes where we set up the community, the parishioners in this world…and so in that way, you know, those kind of early scenes are crucial,” he said. “But again, you know, Rian was really helpful with that. Daniel was ever-present, and so it really felt like I had his support in that way. But yeah, I mean, really, truly, when Blanc turns up, the energy shifts, and that’s true of all of these films. He brings this [energy]. And this is a credit to Daniel, you know, he brings this energy and direction, which drives the film through.”
Johnson said that for him, starting the film with Father Jud was important to the tone of the film.
“It felt really important. The whole movie kind of travels on Josh’s character on Father Jud, and part of his arc is [that] he very much wants to be a good priest,” he said. “There’s this horrible thing, this murder that happens. He’s suspected of it, and then he kind of gets caught up in the game with Blanc of trying to solve it, and trying to solve the murder means trying to win the game, and trying the gamified thing of, ‘We’re gonna find the bad guy, we’re gonna get them, I’m going to be in the clear, me against them,’ kind of like this. Then that’s a scene where he has to reset suddenly, and remember, ‘Wait a minute. That’s the opposite of what I’m here to do as a priest, as someone who’s here to show people Christ’s love.'”
Daniel Craig on Benoit Blanc and Father Jud’s relationship
Craig added that Benoit’s relationship with Father Jud “is really key” to the film.
“He likes Father Judd from the outset,” he said. “He’s not at all religious, Blanc, and [he] is quite cynical about the whole thing. And through Father Judd, he sees many things, but he sees the goodness in him, the goodness in the individual, [in] Father Judd, and so he sort of has a revelation in the movie, which is fun and also kind of great to play. But yeah, it’s not his MO, though. I mean, he basically tries to give people enough rope to hang themselves, which is his way. And with charm, he does it, but he kind of invites people to get themselves into trouble. He’s got, as usual…a fairly strong idea of what’s going on right from the offset.”
When is ‘Knives Out 3’ on Netflix?
Watch the full interviews with the rest of the cast and Johnson above. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is in select theaters now. It premieres Dec. 12 on Netflix.