Why Rian Johnson Regrets Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Title

Glass Onion: Wilderness Action Mystery director Rian Johnson explains why he regrets the lengthy title of the highly anticipated sequel.

Glass Onion: Into the Wild director Rian Johnson explains why he regrets the film's title. Netflix movie star Daniel Craig reprises his role as Detective Benoit Blanc in another twisted and captivating murder mystery. While Glass Onion: Into the Wild will only bring back Blank, its themes of corrupt wealth, morality, privilege and greed perfectly echo Johnson's previous murder mystery, 2019's Into the Wild. So, for these reasons and the title referencing its predecessor, this movie is a direct sequel to Knock Out.

The term "Glass Onion" in the title is a reference to the 1968 Beatles song of the same name, which is also mentioned in the film. In an interview with The Atlantic, Johnson said he regretted the second half of "Glass Onion: Into the Wild," as he'd rather have the film stand on its own than be relegated to a sequel. The director did confirm that The Glass Onion is "the next in the series", but explained that he took issue with the emphasis on "serial stories" as he preferred to see the films as "standalone" works, comparing them to the ones in the novels. series. See Johnson's full quote, as well as Screen Rant's video breakdown of 20 easy-to-miss details in "The Glass Onion: Mystery of Wilderness Action," below: Connections to the first film do shape Blank's character and shape the audience's perception of him, but those connections aren't necessary for audiences to enjoy the follow-up films. With an all-new premise, a unique setting, and an updated cast of hilarious and sarcastic characters, Glass Onion continues themes of Knives Out listed above while building a new story.

“I’ve tried hard to make them self-contained. Honestly, I’m pissed off that we have A Knives Out Mystery in the title. I want it to just be called Glass Onion. I get it, and I want everyone who liked the first movie to know this is next in the series, but also, the whole appeal to me is it’s a new novel off the shelf every time. But there’s a gravity of a thousand suns toward serialized storytelling.”

Glass Onion Is Self-Contained

Johnson had previously cited Agatha Christie as the main inspiration for Knockout, while Blank was a modern-day Hercule Poirot. Poirot is the connecting factor in Christie's mystery series, and Blank plays the same role in Into the Wild and The Glass Onion. Pairing Johnson's film with Christie's novels gives a glimpse of his intentions for the series, as readers can jump into any of Christie's mysteries and enjoy a satisfying read experience without consuming other books, though they may add to the experience.

The Knockout sequel, with Craig reprising his role as the detective, has been confirmed as part of Netflix's deal with Johnson, with the director recently teasing a fourth further. Given Johnson's interest in Christie's work, it's likely that more Wilderness action companion films will follow The Glass Onion, as the acclaimed mystery writer has penned 33 novels and many other Poirot-centric works. While no other Glass Onion: Knives Out characters are likely to return to the franchise, they may return as cameos in Knives Out 3. ^More: The True Meaning of a Glass Onion perfectly updates the Wilderness story ^Source: The Atlantic

Will There Be A Third Knives Out Mystery?