The 2025 BFI London Film Festival will open its 69th edition with the international premiere of Rian Johnson’s ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.' The screening is set for Oct. 8 at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall.
Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc in the third entry of the mystery series. Plot specifics have not been released, though the film will follow Blanc taking on what’s being described as his most challenging case. The cast includes Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack and Thomas Haden Church.
‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery' marks a return to the LFF by the popular film series written, directed and produced by Rian Johnson. ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery' closed the 66th Festival edition in 2022 to significant fanfare and the first instalment premiered as the 63rd Festival’s Amex Gala in 2019.
“We’re honoured to be opening the BFI London Film Festival with Wake Up Dead Man,” Johnson said in a statement. “London is the birthplace of the golden age of detective fiction and it's a thrill to be back!”
Festival director Kristy Matheson said the LFF is “delighted to reunite” with Johnson and the series, noting that the latest installment is “a film that twists, turns and will keep audiences guessing to the final frame.” In her statement, she called ‘Wake Up Dead Man' a “deliciously fun mystery” that brings “a sense of play and verve” to the screen, led by Craig and O’Connor and supported by a mix of British and international talent. “At this 69th edition of the BFI London Film Festival,” she added, “we are inviting audiences to get their spyglass at the ready as we get back on the case.”
The 69th BFI London Film Festival runs Oct. 8–19, 2025. The full lineup will be announced Sept. 3, with tickets on sale from Sept. 16. ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery' is set to launch on Netflix Dec. 12.