When the title for theKnives Out-sequel first made rounds, fans were left to wonder the meaning behind the title,Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and what story it foreshadowed. Finally, Academy Award-nominated writer and directorRian Johnsonhas given some context for the title of his highly-anticipated sequel as well as its link to the Beatles song.
If the murder and intrigue ofKnives Outwas all in the family, the sequel is branching out to include one’s closest friends.Glass Onionwill see Golden Globe-nomineeDaniel Craigreprising his role as the brilliant private detective Benoit Blanc, and will follow the philosophical sleuth to a private island in the Mediterranean belonging to tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) in order to “peel back the layers of intrigue” and solve a new murder mystery. Going off of this theme, Johnson described his casting approach forGlass Onionas “throwing a dinner party,” perNetflix Tudum. So far, seated at Norton’s table is a star-studded cast including American singer-songwriterJanelle Monáe,Kathryn Hahn(Private Life),Leslie Odom Jr.(The Many Saints of Newark),Jessica Henwick(The Gray Man),Madelyn Cline(Outer Banks),Kate Hudson(Almost Famous) andDave Bautista(Army of the Dead).
With Blanc getting more of the spotlight inGlass Onion– as opposed toKnives OutwhereAna de Armas’character Marta took center stage, Johnson has credited the sequel’s title to the detective’s penchant for over-the-top verbiage, adding how the title pays homage to the 1968 Beatles song of the same name.
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“I’m always fishing for something fun that Blanc can grab onto as an overwrought metaphor that he can beat to death,” Johnson said, adding:
“This is all in plain sight from the very start. So, the idea of glass came to me, something that’s clear. I’ll be very honest. I literally got out my iPhone and searched my music library with the word ‘glass.’ There’s got to be some good glass songs. I was like, “Oh, is it a glass fortress? Is it a glass castle? Is it a glass man?” The first thing that came up, because I’m a huge Beatles fan, is ‘Glass Onion.’”
Glass Onionis less a traditional sequel than it is a second installment. Similar toAgatha Christie’s famous character Hercule Poirot who is featured in 33 novels with different tones, structures and plots, the only similarity to the Academy Award-nominatedKnives Outscreenplay will be the detective taking the helm of this paradise-turned-murder-mystery. Inspired by his fantasy of a beach getaway while in lockdown in 2020, Johnson looked to “tropical getaway mystery films” such as 1982’sEvil Under the Sun, and in particular, 1973’sThe Last of Sheilain addition to Christie’s novels for inspiration.
An official synopsis forGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mysteryreads:
“A tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites some of his nearest and dearest for a getaway on his private Greek island, it soon becomes clear that all is not perfect in paradise. And when someone turns up dead, well, who better than Blanc to peel back the layers of intrigue?”
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mysterywill make itsworld premiereduring this year’s Toronto Film Festival, running from September 8 until September 18. The film will launch in select theaters andglobally on Netflixon December 23.
