Get ready for a thrilling ride because the latest trailer for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery just dropped, and it’s packed with twists you won’t see coming! Imagine a priest with a boxing past becoming a murder suspect—and then teaming up with Daniel Craig to solve the case. Yes, you read that right. Josh O’Connor stars as Father Jud Duplenticy, a former boxer turned priest who finds himself at the center of an ‘impossible crime’ alongside detective Benoit Blanc, played by the ever-charismatic Craig. But here’s where it gets controversial: Duplenticy is accused of murdering the charismatic Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), and the evidence? Well, let’s just say he’s got blood on his hands—literally.
In the trailer, local police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) confronts Duplenticy with a chilling line: ‘You were the only one on stage with the Monsignor at the time.’ Talk about a motive! But Duplenticy insists, ‘Everyone thinks I did it. I didn’t do it.’ And this is the part most people miss: his journey from a small-town church with dark secrets to becoming Blanc’s unlikely crime-solving sidekick is anything but ordinary.
The dynamic between Craig’s suave Southern detective and O’Connor’s conflicted priest is pure gold. As The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney puts it, ‘Blanc and Duplenticy make a delightful pair, the two British actors sparking off each other with infectious enjoyment.’ But don’t let the charm distract you—this mystery is deep. With a star-studded ensemble cast including Glenn Close, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, and more, the list of suspects is as long as it is suspicious.
Here’s the kicker: Wake Up Dead Man isn’t just another whodunit. It’s the third installment in Netflix’s Knives Out franchise, a series that’s already earned writer-director Rian Johnson two Oscar nominations. And let’s not forget Netflix’s $469 million megadeal in 2021 to acquire the property—clearly, they’re betting big on this one.
The film hits theaters on November 26 before streaming on Netflix starting December 12, just in time for awards season. But here’s the real question: Can Duplenticy clear his name, or is he just another pawn in a much larger game? Is he truly innocent, or is there more to his past than meets the eye? Let us know what you think in the comments—this is one debate you won’t want to miss!
