Netflix's 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery' to get short theatrical run before hitting the streamer

By Chris Morgan | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 4:01 PM ET

Netflix has long been reluctant to give its films theatrical runs, aside from brief awards-season pushes or one-off events like “singalong” rereleases. Upcoming titles such as 'Nouvelle Vague' and 'Frankenstein' will see limited play for Oscar positioning. 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,' however, is not an Oscar contender. The third Benoit Blanc mystery, starring Daniel Craig and directed by Rian Johnson, is the latest installment in a franchise Netflix paid heavily to acquire after the surprise success of the original 'Knives Out.' Even so, the streamer plans to release 'Wake Up Dead Man' in theaters, albeit on a restricted schedule.

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The film will debut on Netflix Dec. 12, perfectly timed for holiday binge-watching. Before that, the film will enjoy a two-week theatrical run starting Nov. 26, right in the thick of Thanksgiving season. Nothing says the holidays like a breezy murder mystery.

The release pattern recalls 'Knives Out,' which arrived in late November 2019 and felt like a fresh twist on the whodunit genre. That was before Netflix acquired the franchise, a move that gave writer-director Rian Johnson the chance to keep exploring his love of ensemble mysteries, and allowed Craig to embrace a role far removed from his James Bond tenure. The sequel, 'Glass Onion,' hit theaters in 2022 for just one week, marking the widest release ever for a Netflix film. With 'Wake Up Dead Man,' the streamer is doubling that commitment, a sign it intends to maximize its pricey bet on the Blanc mysteries.

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We will be efforting to see 'Wake Up Dead Man' in theaters when the time comes, and if you have the time in late November or early December, you have the chance as well.

(h/t Variety)

Chris Morgan

Chris Morgan is a Detroit-based culture writer who has somehow managed to justify getting his BA in Film Studies. He has written about sports and entertainment across various internet platforms for years and is also the author of three books about '90s television.

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