Rian Johnson's Knives Out 3 Receives a Blockbuster Budget of $210 Million from Netflix

Netflix has seemingly given Rian Johnson an open-ended budget for his next project, with reports stating that the budget for Knives Out 3 stands at an impressive $210 million.

The initial installment of Knives Out was immensely popular, achieving significant critical acclaim and financial success. This success can partly be attributed to its relatively modest budget of approximately $40 million, which is remarkable considering the film featured a star-studded ensemble, including Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, and Jamie Lee Curtis, among others. Thus, this budget appeared to be quite reasonable given the cast's caliber.

The forthcoming sequel, titled Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, marks a stark contrast in terms of budget. As per reliable industry sources, this film is reported to have an astonishing budget of $210 million. This figure aligns more closely with the budgets typical of Marvel films and other major blockbusters, many of which are often critiqued for being excessively costly to produce.

It remains uncertain how the film’s budget has reached such extravagant heights. While it does boast a formidable cast, with Craig reprising his role alongside Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Cailee Spaeny, Andrew Scott, Kerry Washington, and others, the presence of these actors alone shouldn't lead to such a monumental increase in expenses.

Since Knives Out 3 is set to premiere on Netflix in 2025, it likely won’t require a marketing budget on par with that of films released in theaters. Typically, theatrical releases need to double their production costs to break even, but given its streaming release, Knives Out 3 still needs to be a significant success to rationalize its hefty budget.