What happens when you make a mystery comedy starring Daniel Craig as a slick Southern gentleman sleuth? Well, if you’re writer/director Rian Johnson and the movie happens to be Knives Out, you go on to make $300 million worldwide (and counting) and spawn a sequel that fans couldn’t have asked for quicker.
Obviously, it’s going to take some time to put together the script to a potential Knives Out 2, and even if Johnson had one ready to go at this very moment, we wouldn’t hear any details about what it entails until Lionsgate felt good and ready to promote the film. Which means it’s time for some good old fashioned speculation!
We’ve previously run stories on speculation pertaining to the title of what is commonly called Knives Out 2, as well as the potential casting and other factors we’d love to see in this follow up. Now, all that seems left to talk about is what crime should be committed in the name of entertainment.
Below, you’ll see seven potential crimes that we’d love to see famed detective Benoit Blanc try to solve. Think of this as a bunch of donuts, with smaller donuts nested in them, just waiting for that tiny donut hole known as the truth to be placed in the center. But keep in mind, murder isn’t the only crime a talented sleuth could find themselves in the middle of solving.
A Heist Above Rubies: A Benoit Blanc Mystery
Our first scenario is a classic: a good old fashioned jewel heist that sees some valuable gems pilfered by a thief with sticky fingers and quick wits. With such a theft involving a mysterious party that’s a cut above the rest, stymying the finest investigators the world can offer, it’s time to call in Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc to crack the case.
Whether this crime takes place overseas, or if the Benoit Blanc series of mysteries will make Massachusetts its home port, the idea of Blanc chasing down a prolific thief sounds just as thrilling as tracking a killer. Not to mention, Knives Out’s fixation with people obsessed over the finer things in life will find itself right at home in the world of the jewelry trade.
Guns & Cannolis: A Benoit Blanc Mystery
Picture this: two families in the big time baking industry, with connections to the criminal underworld, are dangerously close to war. All of a sudden, one child from both sides is missing, with a ransom note saying that unless $50,000 is delivered to the piers in two days, they’ll never be seen again. A gang war is about to break out, as tensions mount surrounding this kidnapping.
Enter Knives Out’s ace detective, ready to find out what the real story is about this pair and their leave of absence. Is it a case of Romeo and Juliet for the modern age? Could a third party be interested in creating an all-out conflict as a shake up for the ranks? Maybe they just went on vacation? Daniel Craig’s smooth talking skills of deduction will be the key to finding out the truth.
Shock The Vote: A Benoit Blanc Mystery
A dashing senator is looking to extend her career for another term, but someone is willing do say, possibly do, anything to stop her from winning the election. As Knives Out is a film that’s clearly not afraid to dance around political flashpoints in the name of comedy, this particular case of Benoit Blanc’s could feel right at home next to the previous film in the series.
But what makes this potential Knives Out 2 a special scenario is the fact that it would tackle the political machine head on. So on top of solving the mystery of who wants to slander the record of a high powered politician, we’d get to see Daniel Craig make some astute jokes about the entire process. Mind you, this would be a bi-partisan roast where all are welcome and warned.
Your Cheating Heart: A Benoit Blanc Mystery
If you’ve got the funds, and an intriguing enough mystery, you could hire Benoit Blanc to investigate pretty much anything. So when a husband wants to know if his wife has been doing the two timing two step with some Tom, Dick, or Harriet; he’s going to want the best person that money can buy to solve for his potential future ex.
Of course, this is a Knives Out mystery, which means that there’s going to be an extra angle that hasn’t been considered yet. But switching from crimes of bodily harm to affairs of the heart keeps things equally lighthearted and super serious. Plus, there’s just something about Daniel Craig going from being famed ex-womanizer James Bond to a more prim and proper private eye just makes this story a little more potent.
Down With The Crown: A Benoit Blanc Mystery
England’s Royal Family is in a bit of a crisis. With the youngest prince in the family being caught in a rather delicate, but mysterious, predicament, those in the know want to have their silence bought. Since that prince’s brother is just about to be crowned the country’s king, it’s probably a good idea to either pay up or suss out the culprit before the coronation.
It’s a good thing Benoit Blanc has a passport, as this Knives Out 2 idea would see him shipping off to the United Kingdom, for queen and country. And if the inkling of an idea where Daniel Craig’s Blanc changes accent with each caper is something that could be a real possibility, it wouldn’t hurt to let him revert to his normal voice as a bit of a break.
Blanc Canvas: A Benoit Blanc Mystery
A rare, famed piece of art long thought to be lost to the world has not only been re-discovered, it’s going up on the auction block! There’s just one problem… it’s a convincing, but total, forgery. Which means, there’s a good chance that this forger has struck before, and could strike again if not caught.
On top of this cinematic adventure in the Knives Out mystery canon requiring that Daniel Craig’s character track down a con artist of the highest magnitude, there would also be the task of finding further forgeries that made their way onto the market. Closing up both crimes past and present, Benoit Blanc is about to have his hands full again, only this time it’s paint not blood on those smart fingers of his.
Only The Good Die Young: A Benoit Blanc Mystery
I’ll admit, this last scenario is stolen directly from Rian Johnson and Noah Segan, as this gag title was on some t-shirts the two had made for a Billy Joel concert. However, that’s not exactly a bad idea for a Knives Out 2 storyline, especially if it involves the Piano Man himself, and a heinous assailant looking to put some fatal pressure on this music legend.
If we’re going to return to the murder mystery, it’s gotta be a stylish return to truly work. So this particular scenario would see Daniel Craig and Billy Joel teamed up in a real-time caper that tries to track down the villainous party trying to silence the world renowned recording artist before what could be the final show of his residency at Madison Square Garden… and his life!
Much like the casting process for Knives Out 2, all bets are indeed off when it comes to crafting the future of this newcomer to the world of franchise filmmaking and mystery gamesmanship. Still, it doesn’t hurt to throw some suggestions into the world, in hopes that something will catch on. I'll leave it and that and remind you that the smash comedy hit is now available on Digital HD, as well as quite possibly still in a theater near you, before its full home video roll out on February 25th.
