A Conversation with Rian Johnson
Rian Johnson, a filmmaker known for his unique storytelling and creative vision, recently sat down for an engaging conversation on The Hollywood Reporter‘s Awards Chatter podcast. The episode was recorded in front of an audience at the Newport Beach Film Festival, just before the festival honored him with its Director Award for his latest film, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Johnson has been recognized by various publications as one of modern Hollywood’s most unpredictable directors. The New York Times called him “a pop-culture savant with technique to spare,” while Natasha Lyonne, his collaborator on Poker Face, described him as “one of our greatest living auteurs.”
Over the past two decades, Johnson has written and directed seven feature films, including Brick (2005), The Brothers Bloom (2008), Looper (2012), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), Knives Out (2019), Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022), and now Wake Up Dead Man. He also directed three standout episodes of Breaking Bad, one of the greatest TV series of all time. Additionally, he created and wrote or directed five episodes of Poker Face, a comedy series that previously aired on Peacock and is now seeking a new platform.
Johnson has received numerous accolades, including being named one of TIME’s 100 most influential people in the world. He has won awards from the Directors Guild and National Board of Review and has been nominated for prestigious honors such as Producers Guild, Writers Guild, Golden Globe, Critics Choice, BAFTA, Spirit, and Emmy awards. He has also been nominated for two Oscars — for best original screenplay for Knives Out and for best adapted screenplay for Glass Onion. A third nomination for Wake Up Dead Man is expected.
Reflecting on His Career
During the conversation, Johnson reflected on his entire career, including Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which remains one of his most well-known projects. The film received a polarized response from Star Wars fans, but Johnson insists it didn’t hurt him personally. “I’m a lifelong Star Wars fan,” he said. “I know the deal. I know that Star Wars fans are passionate about this stuff. We love the stuff we love, we hate the stuff we hate, and we fight about it, and that’s been happening since the original trilogy.”
He added that many people who have seen the film have deep connections to it, making the experience one of the most positive he has had with any of his work. “I came out the other end of it loving the Star Wars fandom more than I did even going into it.”
The Knives Out Series
For Johnson, the Knives Out series, centered around detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), has become a major part of his life. He described the murder mystery genre as something he deeply loves, and it was a project he had been thinking about for over a decade. “Finally, after Star Wars, I sat down and wrote this little murder mystery and thought, ‘Well, this will be a one-off!’” he recalled.
Initially, many were skeptical about the appeal of the first Knives Out film. “When we were trying to sell it to studios, everyone was like, ‘Oh, a murder mystery, huh?’ And even friends who I showed the script to were like, ‘You’re coming off of Star Wars dude, you sure you want to do just a little murder mystery movie?’”
Now, three films later, Johnson can’t imagine not continuing the series. “I’m very, very lucky, with Daniel, to have a creative partner in this who’s on the same page. I feel like, for me, the only kind of restrictions are first of all that audiences are still digging them, and second that Daniel and I feel like we’re trying something different and reaching for something new and challenging ourselves and thus hopefully giving you guys something new every time.”
No Muppet Movie in Sight
One idea that often comes up online is a Knives Out Muppet movie. Johnson addressed the concept directly. “On the Internet, the notion of a Knives Out Muppet movie comes up a lot, and I wanted to get you guys together here so that I could explain why that’s a bad idea.” He explained that while both Knives Out and Muppet movies are beloved, they are fundamentally different. “If you put Muppets in a Benoit Blanc movie, it would feel totally wrong because they would be getting murdered. The alternative is to just stick Benoit Blanc into a Muppet movie, which admittedly would be very fun, but would kind of break the reality of what Blanc is.”
In conclusion, Johnson expressed his desire to continue making Knives Out films as long as audiences enjoy them. “I would be a happy man if, amongst other things, I can come back and keep making these the rest of my life.”
