Netflix Movie Knives Out 2 Is Meant To Be Seen In A Theater, Director Says

The Knives Out sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, is a Netflix movie that was made to be seen in theaters, write-director Rian Johnson said in a new interview.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Johnson said plainly, "This movie, above everything else, is designed to be a good time with a big crowd of folks in a theater."

The movie will come to select theaters in November before it arrives on Netflix on December 23, but the specific theatrical rollout plans are still to be decided, Johnson said. Some high-profile Netflix movies come to theaters for a few weeks in limited markets before joining Netflix's streaming catalog, but for Glass Onion, Netflix and theater owners discussed a "wider release," AP reported. However, that did not materialize, and Glass Onion is expected to have a limited theatrical presence.

Johnson said he is hopeful that Glass Onion draws a number of people to theaters. "I want as many people to see the movie in theaters as possible," he said. "My goal is to hopefully have it be so if you want to see it in a theater, you can. But we're still TBA."

At the same time, Johnson acknowledged that many people discovered the original Knives Out when it was released on streaming platforms. Still, Johnson said he hopes people see Glass Onion in a theater so they can be surrounded by other people to enjoy the communal aspect of watching a film together.

"This movie is so designed to be seen with a crowd in a theater," he said. "It's less like Top Gun where it's about the big experience of the screen and the sound, and it's more about being surrounded by people who are going to be having as much fun as you."

2019's Knives Out was a box office success, bringing in more than $300 million worldwide against a budget of $40 million. After its big success, Netflix paid a reported $450 million for two sequels.

Johnson and star Daniel Craig, who plays detective Benoit Blanc, are expected to make $100 million each from the Knives Out sequels.

In addition to Craig, Glass Onion stars Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista.