Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man is the latest movie in the Knives Out series, and the director of the franchise has just revealed how the upcoming film is different from the previous one, Glᴀss Onion. While Knives Out was universally beloved, Glᴀss Onion was a lot more divisive, causing many fans to wonder how the franchise would approach the next entry, Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man.

Knives Out trilogy director Rian Johnson has discussed Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man following the release of its teaser trailer, with him saying that the film is “incredibly different from Glᴀss Onion” (via Rolling Stone). Johnson explains that the upcoming sequel is “much more a Gothic” and that the tone is “much more grounded.”

When discussing the film, Johnson has explained that Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man is far more similar to Knives Out than it is to Glᴀss Onion. This is because “It kind of gets back to the real origins of the genre,” with Johnson comparing the story to the works of Agatha Christie and Edgar Allen Poe.

What Rian Johnson’s Comments Mean For Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man

It Continues The Best Aspect Of Murder Mysteries

Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man‘s tonal shift is clearly meant to mimic one of the best parts of the murder mystery genre that inspired the Knives Out series, that being its anthology nature. Johnson clearly wants every Knives Out movie to have a different tone, locations, and story, and the juxtaposition between the second and third films makes that abundantly clear.

This tone shift can already be seen in the Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man teaser trailer. The film looks far more serious than Glᴀss Onion, with it featuring weighty conversations about religion and death. The darker color palette, choice of music, and even the location reflect this as well, moving away from the comedic tone of its predecessor.

Our Take On Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man’s Gothic Tone

Will The Switch Divide Audiences?

The tone switch from Glᴀss Onion to Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man is one of the most exciting parts of the upcoming film, as it hints that Benoit Blanc will be taking on a more serious mystery. This means that the film will most likely take inspiration from some of Christie’s darker stories, while also leaning into the horror aspects of Poe’s work.

However, this tone shift could prove to be divisive. Glᴀss Onion is a comedy, but it isn’t much more comedic than Knives Out. Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man, however, is a far cry from the first two films according to its first teaser trailer. This may alienate some audience members who aren’t wild about how tonally different Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man is.