Benoit Blanc is back on the case in Glass Onion, a Knives Out Mystery, a sequel to the hit 2019 murder mystery Knives Out. The sequel is on its way in 2022 with another star-studded cast of potential suspects, once again pursued by Daniel Craig’s Blanc.
Created by Rian Johnson, Knives Out takes its inspiration from the classic whodunit formula — perhaps made most famous by British novelist Agatha Christie and her legendary sleuth Hercule Poirot. With Craig’s Benoit Blanc, America may have its own brilliant and exuberant detective that we can enjoy in many different stories (a third Knives Out movie is already confirmed).
But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s focus on this latest Benoit Blanc mystery. Here is everything we know about Glass Onion.
Glass Onion release date
After an exclusive, week-long run in movie theaters, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery premiered on Netflix December 23.
Glass Onion plot
Benoit Blanc is back on the case in this latest mystery. Though a sequel to 2019's Knives Out, Glass Onion is not continuing the story from that movie, rather this is an entirely new mystery with new characters, with only Blanc serving as the connecting tissue.
Here is the official synopsis for Glass Onion from Netflix:
"Benoit Blanc returns to peel back the layers in a new Rian Johnson whodunit. This fresh adventure finds the intrepid detective at a lavish private estate on a Greek island, but how and why he comes to be there is only the first of many puzzles. Blanc soon meets a distinctly disparate group of friends gathering at the invitation of billionaire Miles Bron for their yearly reunion. Among those on the guest list are Miles’ former business partner Andi Brand, current Connecticut governor Claire Debella, cutting-edge scientist Lionel Toussaint, fashion designer and former model Birdie Jay and her conscientious assistant Peg, and influencer Duke Cody and his sidekick girlfriend Whiskey. As in all the best murder mysteries, each character harbors their own secrets, lies and motivations. When someone turns up dead, everyone is a suspect."
Writer/director Rian Johnson also teased that viewers will get to know more about Benoit Blanc this time around.
Glass Onion cast
The cast of 2019’s Knives Out was fantastic, with Ana de Armas, Christopher Plummer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, Toni Collette, Michael Shannon, LaKeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Don Johnson, Jaeden Martell and more starring alongside Daniel Craig. Glass Onion’s cast is just as impressive.
Of course, Daniel Craig returns to star as Benoit Blanc, which is keeping him in the franchise business after he made his final appearance as James Bond in 2021’s No Time to Die. Craig told The New York Times that when he was first offered Knives Out — though the Blanc and Bond are very different — he had the same kind of excitement he did when he first read Casino Royale. Knives Out has arguably already become Craig's most iconic role aside from Bond.
With Craig ready to dive into another mystery, who will be playing his group of potential suspects?
The supporting cast for Glass Onion consists of Jessica Henwick (The Matrix Resurrections, Iron Fist), Kathryn Hahn (WandaVision, The Shrink Next Door), Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy, Army of the Dead), Edward Norton (Fight Club, Motherless Brooklyn), Kate Hudson (Truth Be Told, Almost Famous), Janelle Monáe (Hidden Figures, Homecoming), Leslie Odom Jr. (One Night in Miami, The Many Saints of Newark) and Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks, Vice Principals).
Here is who everyone is playing:
- Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc
- Edward Norton as Miles Bron
- Kate Hudson as Birdie Jay
- Dave Bautista as Duke Cody
- Janelle Monáe as Andi Brand
- Kathryn Hahn as Claire Debella
- Leslie Odom Jr. as Lionel Toussaint
- Jessica Henwick as Peg
- Madelyn Cline as Whiskey
Find out more about the main players in the Glass Onion cast here.
Some additional big names are slated to appear as well, but likely as just cameos. These include, per IMDb, Ethan Hawke, Hugh Grant, Natasha Lyonne, Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Serena Williams, Joseph-Gordon Levitt and the late, great Stephen Sondheim and Angela Lansbury.
Glass Onion trailer
Netflix has released a number of trailers teasing the mystery at the heart of Glass Onion, as well as all the wacky characters; though admittedly we still have some questions after seeing the footage.
Watch all the Glass Onion trailers right here:
Glass Onion reviews — what the critics are saying
The reviews are in for Glass Onion, with a majority of critics praising the Knives Out sequel as a worthy follow up to the original mystery hit. Glass Onion has earned a 94% "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 81 on Metacritic as of November 23.
Here are some snippets from reviews:
Ross Bonaime, Collider: "It's so much fun to watch Johnson in this mode, especially with a cast this relentlessly fun and playful. With Glass Onion, Johnson proves himself to be a film disruptor of the highest order."
Kate Erbland, IndieWire: "Rest assured: Johnson isn't reinventing the mystery movie with Glass Onion, but he is having a hell of a time lightly deconstructing it and reorienting it to suit his whipsmart script and central super detective."
Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times: "Glass Onion can feel a little less airtight and a little more seat-of-its-pants than its predecessor, and maybe a touch derivative in the way it repeats certain character dynamics. On the plus side, the characters here feel more vividly inhabited and more specifically drawn than their earlier counterparts."
Glass Onion awards and nominations
Here are the awards and nominations that Glass Onion has earned to date:
Golden Globes
- Best Picture: Comedy/Musical (nominee)
- Best Actor: Comedy/Musical — Daniel Craig
Critics Choice Awards
- Best Picture (nominee)
- Best Supporting Actress — Janelle Monae (nominee)
- Best Acting Ensemble (nominee)
- Best Adapted Screenplay — Rian Johnson (nominee)
- Best Costume Design (nominee)
- Best Comedy (nominee)
National Board of Review
- Best Supporting Actress — Janelle Monáe
- Top 10 Film
How long is Glass Onion?
Glass Onion clocks in with a two hour and 19 minute runtime.
What is Glass Onion rated?
Glass Onion is rated PG-13 in the US and 12A in the UK for "strong language, some violence, sexual material and drug content."
Who is Rian Johnson?
Rian Johnson is returning to write and direct Glass Onion after handling both of those roles for Knives Out as well. Knives Out was one of the most well received movies in Johnson’s career, which also includes the likes of Brick, The Brother Bloom, Looper and a little film called Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi.
It’s the latter that has divided many over Johnson. While critics widely praised The Last Jedi, a section of Star Wars fans hold a negative view of the movie and the choices that Johnson made. The kind of backlash that he faced and fan reaction was actually a recurring joke in the latest Scream movie.
However, beyond Star Wars, Johnson is a popular filmmaker and people went crazy for Knives Out, with Johnson's original screenplay earning an Oscar nomination.
How to watch Knives Out
If you're wanting to watch Knives Out ahead of Glass Onion's debut later this year, the movie is currently (as of August 22) available only to rent digitally.
