The wording matters. “International premiere”—not “world”—slipped quietly into BFI London's announcement this morning like a loaded clue in one of Benoit Blanc's slow-burn interrogations. It's the cinematic equivalent of a southern drawl masking a trapdoor. And if you've been following Rian Johnson's murder mystery franchise, you know what that means: Wake Up Dead Man is headed to TIFF.
The 69th BFI London Film Festival will open on October 9 with Johnson's latest Benoit Blanc whodunit, continuing a tradition of prestige slots for Netflix-backed tentpoles. But make no mistake—this isn't the first time the film will play for an audience. The “international premiere” label, rarely used by accident, is code. Knives Out (2019) and Glass Onion (2022) both bowed at Toronto. There's no reason to think Wake Up Dead Man would break from that pattern, especially when TIFF needs star power more than ever.
Netflix, meanwhile, plays the game with the subtlety of a Bond villain in a linen suit: flashy on the outside, stone-cold strategic underneath. It dropped $450 million on this trilogy, and Wake Up Dead Man reportedly cost a staggering $210 million—five times the original's modest $40 million budget. That's not “make it go viral” money. That's “build a cinematic brand” money.
And yet… we know next to nothing about the plot. Just a title, a stacked cast, and a date: the film hits Netflix on December 12. Until then, all we've got are puzzle pieces. Daniel Craig returns as Blanc, of course—this time surrounded by a cast that looks like a Hollywood power grid: Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Kerry Washington, and Josh O'Connor. No character names. No synopsis. Not even a hint of the setting.
That's unusual for a film this close to the festival circuit. But maybe it's the point. Johnson has become a genre formalist in disguise—a guy who uses structure the way magicians use mirrors. Knives Out took aim at inherited wealth. Glass Onion targeted tech ego and vapid wealth-as-spectacle. So what's left for Dead Man? Faith? Politics? The myth of justice?
Honestly, the silence is louder than any teaser.
And then there's the question of tone. The title Wake Up Dead Man—drawn from a lesser-known U2 song, if you're digging—hints at resurrection, maybe even reckoning. Could this be Benoit Blanc's most personal case? Or is that just more sleight of hand from Johnson, who's made a career of undermining expectations, often to the dismay of traditionalists and the delight of fans craving reinvention?
What's clear is this: Netflix isn't rushing anything. Despite the massive price tag, Wake Up Dead Man is rolling out the red carpet one festival at a time. It's a careful game of optics—TIFF for buzz, BFI for prestige, and a December drop to anchor its awards-season ambitions.
We'll likely get our first trailer sometime in August. And when TIFF unveils its lineup later this month? Don't act surprised when Benoit Blanc shows up in a Canadian tuxedo with murder on his mind.
So here's the mystery now: Can Johnson pull off a third reinvention without the formula cracking—or is Wake Up Dead Man already out of surprises?
Important Dates:
– Toronto International Film Festival: early September 2025 (TBD, expected world premiere)
– BFI London Film Festival: October 8–19, 2025 (Wake Up Dead Man opens on October 9)
– Netflix Streaming Release: December 12, 2025
