Star Wars director Rian Johnson teams up with James Bond’s Daniel Craig for murder mystery
Johnson has written and will direct Knives Out ahead of working on his new Star Wars trilogy
In a surprise move, Rian Johnson’s next big project after The Last Jedi has been revealed, and it’s NOT his much-vaunted Star Wars spin-off trilogy.
Instead, Johnson is first tackling a new crime drama called Knives Out, which is set to star James Bond star Daniel Craig after the actor found himself with some free time following the delay to the upcoming untitled Bond movie.
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“I have been a huge fan [of Daniel] and always wanted to work with him and as I worked on the script, trying to get it right, Ram and I were wringing our hands over who could be the detective,” Johnson said.
“Then, serendipitously, we heard Daniel might have a small window, and it worked out. He’s an actor of extraordinary range, and we are looking forward to the fun of finding that modern detective, and collaborating with Daniel on creating a new Poirot.”
The film has both been written and will be directed by Johnson, who’s working with regular producing partner Ram Bergman to bring the story to the screen, according to Deadline.
Apparently, the movie is best described as” a modern day murder mystery in the classic whodunit style, infused with Johnson’s original voice that informed films from Brick to Looper.” Inspired by the works of Agatha Christie, Knives Out is also described as a “contemporary version of the locked door mansion murder mystery.”
Notably, the film’s description – a classic mystery in contemporary society – sounds extremely similar to Johnson’s directorial debut Brick, which transposed the early 20th-century pulp plotlines and language of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler to a modern high school.
Still, Star Wars fans still hoping to see what else Johnson has planned for a galaxy far, far away needn’t worry that he’s entirely returning to his roots – after Knives Out shoots this November, Johnson will reportedly start work in earnest on his new Star Wars spin-off trilogy, which alongside another series by Game of Thrones bosses David Benioff and DB Weiss is expected to provide the future of the Star Wars franchise.
