Of the Knives Out, released three years ago, Rian Johnson was determined to resurrect the good old “murder mystery” genre by developing a series of independent films, linked by a single character. And, for the moment, only one actor: Daniel Craig.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Glass Onion – A tale at loggerheads in French version) is the second part of a series of feature films which, you never know, could perhaps have an infinite duration. Launched in cinemas this Wednesday, for a duration of one week, the new episode of what could certainly become a franchise now will be released on Netflix in a month.
“When we were making the first movie, we had so much fun Daniel [Craig] and me on set that we thought it would be really fun to continue, ”said Rian Johnson during a virtual press conference at which The Press could attend. “We also determined from then on that these films would not be sequels, that we would rather do like Agatha Christie with her novels. You need a new puzzle each time, a new place, new characters. »
All suspects!
This is how we find detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), who, like Hercule Poirot, embarks on a new investigation. It is unclear how he ended up in this paradisiacal Greek island, but the detective quickly crosses paths with a group of guests handpicked by their host, the billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton). In the purest tradition of the “murder mystery” genre, all these beautiful people can become suspect when one of them dies completely unexpectedly.
PHOTO JOHN WILSON, SUPPLIED BY NETFLIX
Edward Norton, Madelyn Cline, Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe and Daniel Craig in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
“Agatha Christie was not content to use the same recipe from one book to another, she mixed genres and reinvented herself each time, indicates the filmmaker, also author of the screenplay. That’s kind of the mandate I gave myself when writing. »
I wanted viewers to be able to rediscover the pleasure they had while watching the first film, while offering them something completely different.
Rian Johnson, director of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mysteryduring a virtual press conference
And why did you leave the beauties of New England to set up your plot this time on a Greek island?
“First, several stories of this nature traditionally take place in more exotic locations: Evil Under the Sun, Death on the Nile, The Last of Sheila, he explains. I wrote this screenplay in 2020, when we were all confined. Like many of us, I started dreaming of travel and wanted to go to a Greek island. There’s probably a bit of that too! »
PHOTO JOHN WILSON, SUPPLIED BY NETFLIX
Kate Hudson and Jessica Henwick in In Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Around Daniel Craig, Rian Johnson (Looper, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi) has brought together a high-flying cast, which includes, in addition to Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick and Madelyn Cline, not to mention a few more surprising participations.
“It was beautiful to see all these actors, who could very well carry an entire film, melt into a whole, he says. They all had their hearts set on making sure the chemistry worked on set and on screen. All these people had grace! »
The mystery above all
The filmmaker also wants his recurring character, Benoit Blanc in this case, not to arrive in the story already loaded with a past that could define his actions.
PHOTO VIANNEY LE CAER, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Rian Johnson at the London premiere of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mysterylast October 16
“If an actor asks me for more information about the character he has to play, I will be happy to invent a past for him. But there is no “bible” beyond what is already written in the script. This is also the case for Benoit Blanc. Moreover, Daniel and I made a point of remembering that the interest of these films does not revolve around the person who is Benoit Blanc, but rather around the mystery in which he is immersed and all the characters who are involved in it. »
Rian Johnson, whose previous installment, Knives Outearned him an Oscar nomination in the category of best original screenplay, is especially delighted with the rebirth of a genre he loves.
PHOTO JOHN WILSON, SUPPLIED BY NETFLIX
Daniel Craig takes over the role of Detective Benoit Blanc in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, a film by Rian Johnson
“I grew up with the film adaptations of Agatha Christie novels made in the 1970s and 1980s and they had a profound effect on me. The coolest thing for me now is chatting with friends with kids my age at the time and seeing that these films – I’m not the only one making them – spark the same interest. next to them. To think that they might inspire someone who, in 30 years, will come up with their own version of the genre makes me extremely happy! »
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Glass Onion – A tale at loggerheads in French version) is currently showing. It will be available on Netflix starting December 23.