After Star Wars: The Last Jedi split the fan-universe in half like a Star Destroyer bursting through a ship at light speed, it seems director Rian Johnson will be stepping away from the galaxy far, far away before he comes back to work on his announced Star Wars spin-off trilogy. The filmmaker’s next project is confirmed to be Knives Out, a murder mystery crime story he’s cooked up with long-time producer Ram Bergman – and it’ll star none other than Daniel Craig in the lead role.
The film is set to shoot this November, with Craig stepping into the production while Bond 25 gets back on track after Danny Boyle’s surprise exit. “I have been a huge fan and always wanted to work with him and as I worked on the script, trying to get it right, Ram and I were wringing our hands over who could be the detective,” Johnson told Deadline. “Then, serendipitously, we heard Daniel might have a small window, and it worked out. He’s an actor of extraordinary range, and we are looking forward to the fun of finding that modern detective, and collaborating with Daniel on creating a new Poirot.”
According to Deadline’s report, the film will be a “classic whodunit” with Johnson telling the publication that he’s “an Agatha Christie nut”. Craig will play the detective who’s dispatched to crack the case.
The film doesn’t have a studio attached yet – in fact, it’s expected that there will be a bidding war between the major studios with Johnson unexpectedly delivering the script out of nowhere yesterday. Stay tuned for more information on this one – it’ll be fascinating to see how Johnson and Craig meld away from their respective mega-franchises.
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