Summary

• Knives Out 3 is confirmed, but faces potential competition from Thursday Murder Club, with both ensembles promising star-studded mysteries.
• Thursday Murder Club, with legends like Helen Mirren and Ben Kingsley, could rival Knives Out in the modern mystery genre.
• Filming schedules suggest both movies may release around the same time in 2025, sparking anticipation for fans of murder mysteries.

Knives Out 3 is one of the most-anticipated movies in the early development stages, though it could have an unexpected contender, seeing as a new murder mystery movie has announced an exciting ensemble. The first Knives Out film, directed by Rian Johnson, was lightning in a bottle in 2019, bringing together an exciting ensemble of new and old stars for a fun, light-hearted whodunnit. In 2022, a second part, Glass Onion, was released on Netflix, with another talented ensemble and Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc being the only returning character as the centerpiece detective of the franchise.

Knives Out 3 is confirmed, though the new cast hasn't been announced aside from Daniel Craig's return. Rian Johnson's franchise hasn't had much competition as a commercially prominent mystery saga. Kenneth Branagh has been directing his Hercule Poirot mysteries, which offer a similar premise based off Agatha Christie's novels, but they haven't been as well-received as Knives Out. However, recent casting announcements for a movie called Thursday Murder Club suggest Knives Out could be facing off against another star-studded whodunnit movie.

Thursday Murder Club & Knives Out Share Traits In Common

Thursday Murder Club Should Be A Quirky Murder Mystery With A Stacked Cast

The Thursday Murder Club is a novel by Richard Osman about a group of elderly friends in a retirement home who solve "murders" as a hobby. The book's plot sees them finding themselves involved in a real case, which isn't too dissimilar from the plot of Hulu's Only Murders in the Building. A Deadline article announced a film adaptation in development by Netflix, with Chris Columbus (Harry Potter 1 & 2, Home Alone) set to direct. Previously, Steven Spielberg acquired the rights and was interested in the project, and his company will still be involved in production.

the Netflix movie is set to be a quirky, off-beat, modern take on the mystery genre

The cast for the Thursday Murder Club move was announced, increasing its similarity to Knives Out. Three renowned acting legends, Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, and Ben Kingsley, will lead the cast, guaranteeing an entertaining movie. Like Knives Out, the Netflix movie is set to be a quirky, off-beat, modern take on the mystery genre, and it could be a massive success. Given the success of titles like Knives Out, Only Murders in the Building, and The White Lotus, mysteries with big ensemble casts should continue to thrive.

Thursday Murder Club & Knives Out Could Release Around The Same Time

Knives Out 3's Shooting Schedule Indicates The Two Mysteries Could Release Around The Same Time

Now that a filmmaker is on board and the cast has been announced, Thursday Murder Club is ready to begin its filming. According to the article, the shoot should start in June and run through September. In January, Knives Out 3 received an exciting filming update after being seemingly delayed by the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, suggesting that they would be shooting later on in 2024. While it's still too early to say for sure, it could imply that Thursday Murder Club and Knives Out 3 would be released around the same time in 2025.

Knives Out is currently available to rent on various platforms, and Glass Onion is streaming on Netflix.

Previous Knives Out films have had Holiday season releases, with the first finding success on Thanksgiving weekend and Glass Onion having a late December streaming debut. They may be murder mysteries, but the Knives Out movies have a light-hearted, cozy feel to them, particularly in the first, which could mean a late 2025 release for part 3. Thursday Murder Club shooting in the summer of 2024 means it could be out earlier than that, but it'd be fun to see them come out around the same time, going head-to-head.

Thursday Murder Club Could Outdo Knives Out As A Murder Mystery Franchise

Knives Out 3 Needs To Stand Out More Now That It Has Competition

It's arguable which Knives Out movie is better, but the two films' reviews indicate that both critics and audiences lean toward the original. Glass Onion had an exciting cast, with great actors like Ed Norton and Kate Hudson, along with newcomers like Janelle Monáe and Madelyn Cline, but overall, the narrative wasn't as fluid and engaging as the first. Of course, that doesn't indicate any sign of decline for Rian Johnson's Knives Out movies, but the third movie will have to find a way to stand out and impress, or else another murder mystery franchise could take over.

Thursday Murder Club has the advantage of already having a successful novel behind it, meaning there's precedence for it to be a hit movie. It also can't be stressed enough how talented its cast is, and all three actors are notable enough from various commercial franchises to be a selling point. Knives Out 3 will have to step up its game if it wants to remain the premiere murder mystery franchise, making a little competition all the more exciting.

Sources: Deadline