Daniel Craig's 'Knives Out' Character Is 'Obviously' Queer, Rian Johnson Says
Daniel Craig's character in the Knives Out movies is "obviously" queer, writer-director Rian Johnson confirmed during a press conference in London Sunday. Craig stars as private detective Benoit Blanc in Knives Out and its sequel, the upcoming Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Glass Onion had its European debut at the London Film Festival, ahead of a theatrical run in November.
Johnson was asked about a scene in Glass Onion that appears to confirm Blanc has a male live-in lover. The reporter asked if that meant Blanc is queer. "Yes, he obviously is," Johnson replied. Representatives for Johnson and Netflix both confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that Blanc is gay.
Glass Onion also includes a scene with an unexpected actor making a cameo as Blanc's lover. "There's nobody in the world I can imagine in bringing me more joy for Benoit Blanc to be with," Johnson said of the secret casting. "No spoilers [but] who wouldn't want to live with that person?" Craig chimed in.
Like the first Knives Out, Glass Onion features a star-studded cast of actors playing the murder suspects. Natasha Lyonne, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Kate Hudson, Leslie Odom, Jr., and Dave Bautista all have important roles. Hugh Grant, Yo-Yo Ma, and the late Angela Lansbury and Stephen Sondheim are credited as playing themselves. Ethan Hawke also has a mystery role.
Netflix will release Glass Onion on Dec. 23, but the streamer also reached a deal with the major U.S. theater chains to give the movie a brief theatrical run. It will hit theaters for a week, beginning on Nov. 23. Netflix reportedly paid $450 million to produce two sequels to Knives Out in March 2021.
Johnson told reporters Sunday that the move to a streaming platform had no creative impact on Glass Onion, reports Deadline. However, he was "thrilled" to see Netflix reach a deal with AMC, Cinemark, and Regal to bring the movie to theaters. "Personally, I'm thrilled that Netflix has made this deal for theatrical in November," Johnson said. "I love people watching it at home. Though if people want to see it in the theater, I want them to have the opportunity to – and to see it with a crowd."
The cameos from Lansbury and Sondheim were secrets until details leaked out after Glass Onion's world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September. Lansbury died last week at 96, and Sondheim died in November 2021 at 91. "They were so kind and so generous," Johnson said of the two late icons. "We thought, my God, would either of them ever do it? We didn't think they would. And both of them were so cool."