Glass Onion, the second of the on-screen Benoit Blanc mysteries, has been a success for Netflix. Not only critically and streaming-wise – it was watched in 35 million homes worldwide in its first two days – but more importantly, it did brilliantly at the box office.
As it made $15 million in just 600 theatres in the U.S. over a week, and it’s unknown how much is gained with its similar release in the U.K. As someone who watched it earlier this week and will likely go back to it soon, I hope the streamer saw the success in all three areas and give the third outing a full theatrical release.
With the Knives Out follow-up now released, fans have already had fun suggesting who they’d like to show up. So I thought as we’re in the weird period between Christmas and New Year’s, I’d thought to give it a go (though it won’t be as good as wanting to see Daniel Craig with the Muppets).
Additionally, this would be an update from something I wrote previously when Netflix signed that massive deal with Rian Johnson for the two sequels.
Story
Agatha Christie has played an important role as the base in Johnson craving out his world where Craig is living out his greatest Roger Moore-ness. Have it be A Crooked House for Knives Out and Glass Onion with And Then There Were None.
Johnson has written two incredible original murder mysteries, but you can see the respect and nods to the legend herself. Plus, I know the filmmakers thing is pointing towards the rich, but a little change-up will help keep things fresh because continuously telling, “aren’t the rich and elite terrible” gets a bit dry after a while.
This time the base would be slightly different with the use of Christie’s longest-running mystery, The Mousetrap.
To celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, Benoit and his husband Phillip attend the Broadway show that’s celebrating 10 years that’s based on Blanc’s first-ever case. When the murder of one of the actors happens live on stage to up to the Southern Detective to solve the mystery and relive his past.
As for the title – if Knives Out was a name of a book and Glass Onion was a bar and the name of a large glass sculpture – the third film could be named after the Broadway theatre.
I only worry if it’d be too similar to another great mystery caper, See How They Run.
Cast
What Johnson and casting directors Bret Howe and Mary Vernieu have done with casts of both Blanc mysteries have been fantastic, but I’d rank Knives Out just above Glass Onion for one reason.
It was something my dad said. He knew a lot of actors in Knives Out, but only knew Janelle Monae in Glass Onion before I told him of Dave Batista being in Spectre.
I want to create a cast that hits multiple generations and able to bring in a larger box office should Netflix want to give Johnson’s third film a full 90-day theatrical release.
Zac Efron
Efron has continued to prove himself as an actor from Me and Orson Wells, The Paperboy, The Greatest Showman and the upcoming The Iron Claw based on the famous wrestling family, the Von Erichs.
This would be the type of role he’d smash, and he does look like a younger Craig and can play up on the much-discussed method acting and be Blanc his shadow to make his next performance even better.
Blanc humours him but does find him and all actors a pain in the arse.
Patrick Stewart
A close friend of Benoit and Phillip and director of the stage play, but will be retiring after the tenth anniversary show despite his passion to stay.
As part of the acting royalty, the X-Men legend would eat this role up, be as camp as Johnson would need, and bounce off the other actors like Craig wonderfully.
Viola Davis
Another member of acting royalty and G.E.O.T. holder is this production’s leading star. While appearing as partners in the show figuring out the murders, she and Efron can’t stand each other and has a secret connection to the original case.
The Woman King star could be inspired by her years performing on Broadway.
May Calamawy
May was the series-stealer in the Marvel show Moon Knight and will be playing an actress that has only been in the production for a year but has earned rave reviews and will be leaving the show for Hollywood.
The Egyptian actress will be the Ana de Armas/Monae role of Blanc’s sidekick.
Brendan Fraser
He was the show’s original Blanc before being replaced by his understudy Efron and holds resentment towards both him and Stewart. However, he has stayed with the production in a more senior role because he can’t work elsewhere.
Fraser will soon be an Oscar winner to add to being the most beloved guy in Hollywood and will have offers flying for him, but it’ll be great to see Fraser showing off his comic timing again on the big screen as he does on Doom Patrol.
Ncuti Gatwa
His character has a minor role in the production but has a significant social media backing. He was only cast with the hopes of boosting revenue for the theatre to keep the show going and is disliked by some of the other cast because of not being a “real actor’.
His character is the one that is killed in the production, but this time is actually murdered on stage.
If his Doctor Who schedule allows it, Gatwa’s popularity with the likes of Sex Education and with Barbie coming out in the Summer will only boost his profile before becoming a global superstar as the Doctor. Appearing in a minor role will hopefully keep everyone happy.
Holly Hunter/Laura Dern
Either of these incredible actresses could play the role of the writer of the production. She was initially the journalist to report on Blanc’s first case and followed his career closely to the point that she wrote the ‘Gentleman Sleuth’ article in the New Yorker.
That opened the door for her to write this play, but she will be the second character murdered.
Giancarlo Esposito
Giancarlo is an outstanding actor and an Oscar winner in waiting, but I’ve seen him in anything light-hearted. He always seems to be in serious roles, so it would be fun for Esposito to play the detective who just wants to retire and leave the police.
Natalia Dyer
Dyer is best known for playing Nancy Wheeler in Stranger Things, but I’ve never seen that show and only know her best for the great indie teen-sex comedy Yes, God, Yes (which is on Amazon Prime in the U.K.).
This production would be her character’s first ever role on Broadway since graduating from college cast as the maid.
Appearing in something like this could be the next step to transition Dyer and also is great synergy for the streamer.
Hugh Grant
Grant is back and playing a more featured role as Blanc’s husband, Phillip.
Noah Segan
Having played Trooper Wagner in Knives Out and now Derol in Glass Onion, Segan is a may stay of Johnson movies, appearing in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Looper and Brick.
Noah plays the production’s head of props.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
One of my favourite things about the Blanc mystery movies has been the heard but not seen appearance of JGL as the voice of Detective Hardrock in Knives Out and is the hourly gong in Glass Onion.
This is something that needs to continue, this time as the voice over the tannoy to tell the audience to leave in an orderly manner.
The Bear Cave 