Rian Johnson has big plans for the Knives Out franchise, which begins with his pursuit of a theatrical re-release for its latest sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, according to an exclusive interview with Insider. Its week-long theatrical debut began on Nov. 23, with the plan to release the movie on Netflix – which acquired the sequel rights from Lionsgate earlier this year – on Dec. 23. The film was shown in about 600 theaters across America’s three largest movie chains, Regal Cinemas, AMC, and Cinemark. This feat marks a first for the major streamer.

Like its predecessor, Glass Onion performed extremely well despite spending only one week in theaters. It successfully generated around 15 million dollars in revenue during the five-day holiday weekend. Additionally, it’s received stellar reviews from critics and fans alike, currently holding a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes in both categories. The film’s positive reception has sparked conversations between Johnson and Netflix to bring the movie back in theaters to reach a larger audience.

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“Any theaters we can get it into at any point I’m pushing for,” Johnson told Insider. “I want more people to have the opportunity to be able to watch it.”

If Netflix decides to bring the whodunit mystery back to theaters, it could potentially be lucrative for the company. Their CEO, Reed Hastings, acknowledges that “lots of money” was left on the table by not having a wider release strategy for Glass Onion. For the foreseeable future, the focus still remains on content for their streaming platform. However, Glass Onion’s success opens the door for more theater-to-streaming premieres with their original films in the future.

Rian Johnson Discusses Glass Onion’s Limited Theatrical Rollout

     Netflix

Rian Johnson, the mastermind behind the Knives Out franchise, praises both the theater chains and Netflix’s support in the limited release. He states that they were “fantastic partners,” helping make the movie as successful as it’s been. Glass Onion currently holds the largest rollout for an original Netflix film to date, and Johnson sees a bright future for the franchise with its Netflix partnership and subsequent releases.

In a statement with The Hollywood Reporter, he stated:

Daniel Craig reprises his role in the franchise as renowned murder-mystery detective Benoit Blanc. He is joined by a seasoned cast of stars featuring Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Dave Bautista, and Kate Hudson. In addition, Johnson returned as the writer and director for Glass Onion and is currently writing the third installment in the Knives Out franchise, which Netflix will also release.

“We were very interested in how [Glass Onion] did. We wanted it to do incredibly well for a lot of reasons. I guess for me because I really want to show that this can happen and this can be a huge success. And that when it hits the service, people will still turn up, and it will be huge on the service. That those two things can complement each other. Because I want more next time. I want more theaters. I want it for longer.”

It’s still uncertain whether the streaming giant will allow Glass Onion to make its return to theaters. However, if it does, it won’t be until after its December release date. Johnson is open to “exploring what form that can take,” which will be contingent on Netflix’s green light and theaters’ willingness to offer the re-release. Whether the film makes it back to the big screen, this murder mystery sequel is definitely worth the watch.

Check out the film’s trailer before it premieres on Netflix on Dec. 23!