In 2021, Hollywood witnessed one of the biggest streaming deals in history when Netflix won an intense bidding war for the rights to the next two Knives Out sequels.

The company agreed to pay approximately $469 million for the rights to produce and distribute two new films featuring Daniel Craig reprising his role as detective Benoit Blanc, with Rian Johnson returning as writer and director.

What made the agreement remarkable was its timing. Netflix committed to the deal before a single scene of either sequel had been filmed. The enormous price reflected the company’s confidence in the franchise after the original Knives Out became both a critical and commercial success, earning more than $300 million worldwide on a budget of about $40 million.

Industry reports indicated that the deal included substantial compensation for Johnson, producer Ram Bergman, and Daniel Craig, with Craig reportedly earning around $100 million for appearing in both sequels. While the exact financial breakdown has never been officially disclosed, the acquisition became one of the most expensive film rights deals ever reported.

The first Netflix sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, was released in 2022 to strong reviews and became one of the platform’s biggest film launches. It was followed by Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, continuing Benoit Blanc’s series of standalone mysteries.

For many industry analysts, the deal marked a turning point in Hollywood. Rather than competing solely through box office revenue, streaming platforms were willing to invest blockbuster-level budgets in exclusive franchises to attract and retain subscribers.