If you power up your Netflix today, you’ll see that Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery has hit the platform after a very limited theatrical run. The Rian Johnson-created murder mystery franchise has attracted top-notch talent in front of the camera, and it has allowed Daniel Craig to have the creative freedom beyond portraying James Bond to craft a standout character in private detective Benoit Blanc. All three entries have been fun and a testament to the talents of Johnson and the various actors who have been at the center of the latest mystery, but ever since a lucrative Netflix deal ended its full theatrical footprint, the films haven’t had the staying power afforded to the first movie, which was a box office hit. It’s disappointing that something this good is being served up and that the Netflix streaming model has diminished the impact these films really deserve.

Knives Out began its journey in 2019 when Johnson released the film via Lionsgate. Following a premiere at the 44th Toronto International Film Festival, the movie was released to the public and became a critical and financial success, especially for a mid-budget film aimed primarily at a more adult audience. Knives Out ultimately had great legs and grossed $165.4 million domestically and $312.9 million worldwide on a $40 million budget and eventually scored three Golden Globe nominations and an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. In so many ways, Knives Out defied the notion that films aimed squarely at an older demo don’t succeed in this fashion and it all came down to a perfect storm of impeccable direaction, a whip smart script and a fun ensemble cast that included, Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, LaKeith Stanfield, Christopher Plummer, and more. The idea of a sequel didn’t really hit the public consciousness, but Johnson was cooking up something during the first film’s theatrical run, although how the audience would consume it would be much different.

Lionsgate originally announced plans for a sequel in early 2020, but that all changed the following year when it was announced in a mega-deal that Netflix acquired the rights for two sequels for a staggering $469 million. Johnson and producer Ram Bergman, who owned the film’s intellectual property, pursued other options for distribution after the COVID-19 pandemic changed the industry as we know it. Theatrical was no longer a guarantee, and creatives had to consider other options for release. The deal proved lucrative for Johnson, Bergman, and even Craig, who reportedly earned over $100 million for the next two sequels. Given Netflix’s strict stance on theatrical windows, the immediate concern for those of us who loved experiencing Knives Out in theaters with a crowd was that the streamer would not give the sequels the theatrical exposure that was given to the first movie.

With Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, which attracted the likes of Edward Norton, Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista, Netflix was said to be considering a new release model for the film that would allow the movie a 45-day window given the success of its predecessor in theaters. That was all put to rest when Netflix announced they signed a deal with AMC Theatres, Regal Cinemas, and Cinemark to give Glass Onion a limited one-week theatrical release in over 600 theaters. While the movie would be screened in the biggest markets across the United States, this limited run wouldn’t allow it to come close to achieving the success of the first Knives Out, which opened wide in 3,461 theaters.

The interesting thing about the limited run for Glass Onion is that it proved the theatrical viability of the franchise. The film premiered its “sneak preview” run a month before its Netflix debut and grossed $13.2 million over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday, making it the best-performing theatrical release for the streamer, despite the platform not being the one to report the numbers (various trades did that for them). Given the number of screens, Glass Onion performed well and could’ve performed even stronger had it been given a proper wide release, but that simply wouldn’t happen in the hands of Netflix.

Glass Onion was another critical success, scoring a 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and even scoring an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, alongside six Critics’ Choice Movie Award nominations and two Golden Globe nominations. The tragedy here is that, even with the film also being named as one of the ten best films of 2022 by the National Board of Review, Glass Onion didn’t have the same impact as its predecessor. Netflix certainly boasted about its streaming numbers following the first ten days of its release, which had a reported 209.5 million hours worldwide, but try as they might, even with superior product, the streamer has never been able to replicate the lasting interest of a theatrical release. Glass Onion deserved more than being a flash in the pan moment before being forgotten for the next splashy streaming release. This deal may have made a lot of people rich, but it cut Johnson’s franchise off at the kneecaps in terms of longevity.

Wake Up Dead Man had an even more controversial release model. Between the release of Glass Onion and the third installment, AMC Theatres and Netflix entered into a bitter and ongoing dispute regarding the length of theatrical windows. Netflix offered a two-week window for Wake Up Dead Man, primarily for awards contention, and AMC rightfully declined. When Glass Onion was released, times were certainly different in the wake of the pandemic, but the third film was being released in a healthy market, and AMC wanted to honor a 45-day theatrical window for the movie. With that dispute at hand, Wake Up Dead Man missed out on the biggest theatrical entity nationwide, and the film was given an even more limited run in theaters before debuting on Netflix.

Once again, Netflix didn’t report the numbers, but Wake Up Dead Man grossed close to $4 million domestically during its release over the Thanksgiving holiday in about 600 theaters. While that theater amount is relatively close to the numbers Glass Onion opened in, AMC Theatres was taken out of this equation, which put a significant dent in its box office numbers. Cinemark, another big chain, also declined to screen the film because of the short Netflix window, which made another solid entry in this franchise another footnote when it deserves so much more.

Wake Up Dead Man has proven to be another critical success (93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), and it attracted another stellar ensemble cast, including Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church. Sadly, after Netflix brags about its streaming numbers over its first few days, Wake Up Dead Man will end up just like Glass Onion when it’s all said in done. It’ll certainly be well-liked, much like the first sequel, but it’s on the road to being an afterthought because of the stubbornness of Netflix and their reluctance to engage in longer theatrical windows. This could be a highly lucrative theatrical franchise with immense staying power, but being regulated to streaming has made that a reality that won’t come to pass.

The frustration over the release model for this entry in particular has been voiced by Johnson. The director took to his X page to vent about the number of theaters Wake Up Dead Man would be showing in during its Thanksgiving opening, following addressing a fan who was upset the movie wouldn’t be playing anywhere within driving distance of Oklahoma City. Johnson wrote, “I’m as frustrated as you that it’s not everywhere. New theaters will be added, so keep checking. Also if you’re inclined it wouldn’t hurt to contact the manager of your local theater and (politely!) ask them if it’s coming” As of this writing, it doesn’t appear that the film popped up in more theaters due to demand and now that it’s out on Netflix, it’s highly doubtful most theater chains that chose to screen the film will keep it at their locations with other new December releases on the horizon.

The one upside here is that Craig and Johnson are interested in doing more Knives Out movies, and with Wake Up Dead Man, their pact with Netflix is now over. Since he has politely pushed back on their release model for the films and supports the movies being seen on more screens, it’s doubtful that he’ll re-up with them for more movies. Johnson stated at the Wake Up Dead Man premiere that, “Creatively, I feel energized after making this one. Daniel and I are already starting to formulate…what could the next one be if we do another one?” No matter what the idea is, hopefully, its next journey is on the big screen because it’s not too late for this franchise to be reignited with a wide release, to packed crowds, as it should be.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is now streaming on Netflix.

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