Rian Johnson's 'Knives Out' Franchise Was Never About Planning Ahead, He Reveals.
Each movie in the series has had its own distinct style. Johnson says there wasn’t a master plan to explore each of these genres one by one. “I actually think it’s very important that I just follow my instinct for each one,” he tells me. “I don’t want to plan them in advance.”
Johnson, the director of 'Wake Up Dead Man', has said that each movie is anchored by a character who the audience actually has empathy for, and who has skin in the game, who wants something and can’t get it. This approach allows the detective to play a supporting role.
To achieve this approach, Johnson draws inspiration from his own life experiences and personal views on faith. His intention was to create multifaceted conversations with himself about faith that don't feel didactic or toothless, within the context of one of these movies – a big Benoit Blanc movie.
Johnson believes he would be learning more about Benoit Blanc as he writes each movie rather than building up his backstory. He prefers using Blanc in each story to reveal character through action and relationships with protagonists, such as Josh O'Connor's Father Jud.
For Johnson, constructing the mystery is like designing a crossword puzzle – it involves elbow grease, inspiration, and solving problems that must interlock perfectly to form a symmetrical whole. However, 90 percent of the work in creating a complex mystery goes into making it simple during the viewing experience while leaving intricacies for reflection afterwards.
Johnson believes this approach is key to keeping the series engaging and true to his creative instincts rather than adhering to a pre-planned plan.
Each movie in the series has had its own distinct style. Johnson says there wasn’t a master plan to explore each of these genres one by one. “I actually think it’s very important that I just follow my instinct for each one,” he tells me. “I don’t want to plan them in advance.”
Johnson, the director of 'Wake Up Dead Man', has said that each movie is anchored by a character who the audience actually has empathy for, and who has skin in the game, who wants something and can’t get it. This approach allows the detective to play a supporting role.
To achieve this approach, Johnson draws inspiration from his own life experiences and personal views on faith. His intention was to create multifaceted conversations with himself about faith that don't feel didactic or toothless, within the context of one of these movies – a big Benoit Blanc movie.
Johnson believes he would be learning more about Benoit Blanc as he writes each movie rather than building up his backstory. He prefers using Blanc in each story to reveal character through action and relationships with protagonists, such as Josh O'Connor's Father Jud.
For Johnson, constructing the mystery is like designing a crossword puzzle – it involves elbow grease, inspiration, and solving problems that must interlock perfectly to form a symmetrical whole. However, 90 percent of the work in creating a complex mystery goes into making it simple during the viewing experience while leaving intricacies for reflection afterwards.
Johnson believes this approach is key to keeping the series engaging and true to his creative instincts rather than adhering to a pre-planned plan.
. I mean, come on, who actually has that kind of time management skills? Like, Rian Johnson's saying he doesn't even have a master plan for the entire series, but still manages to make each movie work. And it's not like his movies are random or anything – there's always some common thread tying them together.
. I mean, who wouldn't want to create a puzzle that keeps you guessing till the end? But what really gets me is how he says 90% of the work goes into making it simple, yet leaving some stuff for reflection after the movie ends... sounds like a lot of pressure on himself 
. And the fact that he draws inspiration from himself and his views on faith adds so much depth to the movies... I feel like I'm learning something new every time! 
The way he constructs a mystery is like solving a puzzle, but also, it's all about keeping it simple for the audience while leaving clues for us to pick up on later 
. Can't they just write a proper paragraph like Rian Johnson does? Anyway, I guess it's cool that he doesn't have some grand master plan for the whole franchise... who needs that anyway? The guy just goes with his gut and see where it takes him. And isn't it great how each movie has its own unique style? It's not like we've seen a bunch of detective movies before 
. I do love how he talks about drawing from his own life experiences... it makes the whole thing feel more personal and less formulaic. Now, if only the forum moderators could give us some breathing room without all these annoying threads getting stuck in our feeds...
i love it because it shows he trusts himself as a writer and director, which is so refreshing in an industry that can be super formulaic 
at the same time, he's still got some clever insights about how to make a mystery work, like using crosswords as a metaphor for puzzle-solving 
. it's cool that he draws from his own life experiences and personal views on faith, too - it gives the characters a depth that you wouldn't get from some other kind of planning 
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. he's not trying to fit into some preconceived mold or follow a formula, he's just letting his curiosity guide him wherever it wants to go 
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like, the detective is just there 2 support bc's character arc 
. And honestly, I think this approach is what sets the franchise apart from other whodunits - it's not just about solving a puzzle, it's about telling a story 
!
he's all about trusting his instincts and not overthinking things which is defo something we could all learn from 
i love how he says that each movie is anchored by a character the audience can empathize with, that's so important in making us care about what happens next 
and it's really cool that he draws inspiration from his own life experiences and views on faith (even if it's not publicly discussed) 
) to guide your creative decisions? It's all about finding that delicate balance between keeping it simple for the audience and leaving room for reflection afterwards 
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I mean, I get what he's saying about following his instincts and all, but I'm curious - how do you balance that with keeping the series cohesive overall? 
- that makes total sense! But wouldn't that also mean that some plot points might get lost on viewers during the first watch? 
I mean, can you imagine if every episode of 'The Office' was just a super strict outline? Where was the improv? The surprises? The cringe-worthy moments? 
It would be so boring. 
. Plus, it's awesome to see him draw inspiration from personal experiences and thoughts on faith (not that he's proselytizing or anything 
. The detective story format is already so clever, but adding complexity through character development and relationships takes it to another level 