(UTVNEWS | COLOMBO) – Netflix is closing in on a $450 million deal to purchase the rights to two sequels to Rian Johnson’s 2019 whodunit hit “Knives Out”. That would make it one of the biggest streaming movie deals in history.
Johnson will direct and Daniel Craig is expected to reprise his role as super sleuth Benoit Blanc for both films. Johnson, who wrote the original, has written the sequels and is producing with partner Ram Bergman.
The original was acquired in a single picture deal by MRC, which distributed the film through Lionsgate, and grossed $311 million from a $40 million budget.
The franchise however is owned and licensed by Johnson and Bergman on a picture by picture basis – thus they had the opportunity to make the biggest deal they could. A discreet auction was held between Netflix, Apple and Amazon with Netflix coming out on top.
The first picture will begin shooting June 28th in Greece, and casting will begin immediately.