Wake Up Dead Man Q&A by PBS SoCal

Filmmaker Rian Johnson shares that "Wake Up Dead Man’s" structure resembles "Knives Out." Detective Benoit Blanc is positioned more as an outsider to the story’s emotional core.

"Glass Onion’" brought Blanc closer to the forefront, making him the narrative lens and offering glimpses into his personal life.

Johnson’s approach to Blanc is to use a really delicate touch. Once the mythology of a character starts expanding, it can suddenly become a burden on the storytelling. The character is going to be strongest if they serve the strongest purpose in each of the films. It’s more about asking, “How can we make this film something we haven’t seen in previous chapters? How can we surprise and delight audiences? What can Blanc’s role be here that we haven’t seen him do before?”

Deadline’s chief film critic Pete Hammond moderates an in-person Q&A with cinematographer Steve Yedlin, editor Bob Ducsay, and composer Nathan Johnson.