Why is the Knives Out threequel titled Wake Up Dead Man? Details revealed

Wake Up Dead Man is the forthcoming mystery film directed and written by Rian Johnson. It's a threequel of the Knives Out film series and serves as a standalone sequel to Glass Onion, which came out in 2022. The film had its premiere at this year's Toronto International Film Festival.

Here's the official synopsis as per Letterboxd:

"When young priest Jud Duplenticy is sent to assist charismatic firebrand Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, it’s clear that all is not well in the pews. After a sudden and seemingly impossible murder rocks the town, the lack of an obvious suspect prompts local police chief Geraldine Scott to join forces with renowned detective Benoit Blanc to unravel a mystery that defies all logic."

Let's find out why the film is called Wake Up Dead Man.

Here's why the Knives Out threequel, called Wake Up Dead Man

The title of Wake Up Dead Man is derived from the namesake song of U2 that came out in 1997 under the album Pop. In an official statement, Rian Johnson spoke about the inspiration:

“Pop is a very underrated album, and that song is very right for the title, but I’ve had ‘Wake Up Dead Man’ in my head for a long while, and I first heard the phrase in American folk music.”

This is not the first time that the franchise has shared its title with a song. The first film, Knives Out, took its name from the namesake Radiohead song. Its sequel, Glass Onion, takes its inspiration from the eponymous Beatles song.

Wake Up Dead Man is produced by Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman, and Katie McNeill. Its cast includes,

Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc
Thomas Haden Church as Samson Holt
Josh O'Connor as Rev. Jud Duplenticy
Andrew Scott as Lee Ross
Daryl McCormack as Cy Draven
Glenn Close as Martha Delacroix
Cailee Spaeny as Simone Vivane
Josh Brolin as Msgr. Jefferson Wicks
Mila Kunis as Geraldine Scott
Jeremy Renner as Dr. Nat Sharp
Kerry Washington as Vera Draven

The film had its world premiere at this year's TIFFand it will also be screened at the BFI London Film Festival. It will be released theatrically in a limited number of screens on November 26, 2025. The film will drop on Netflix on December 12. After the success of the first film, Netflix bought the sequel's rights.

Are you excited about the film?