Rian Johnson’s Next Film Takes a Sci-Fi Turn Inspired by 1970s Paranoia
With Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery set to hit theaters soon, Rian Johnson is already looking ahead, and his next film is taking him back to his sci-fi roots.
The Knives Out and Star Wars: The Last Jedi filmmaker revealed that his upcoming project will dive into a new genre blend, one that channels the mood and tension of the 1970s. When talking about his next film with Empire, Johnson shared:
“If I had to define it genre-wise, I’d say it harkens back to the ’70s paranoid thrillers. It’s got a light sci-fi element to it.”
That “light sci-fi” touch might not be to the level of Star Wars, but Johnson isn’t closing that door either.
“That cog will be turning the rest of my life. I love Star Wars, and if some day it makes sense to come back to it, for both of us, it would be the most wonderful thing in the world.”
It sounds like this new story will bring together two of Johnson’s favorite playgrounds such as mystery and science fiction. Before he reinvented the whodunit genre with Knives Out, he made the slick and cerebral time-travel thriller Looper.
More recently, his Peacock series Poker Face, starring Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale, has also dabbled in mystery storytelling. Johnson said of Charlie’s uncanny ability to tell when someone’s lying:
“It’s definitely superhuman in that it’s beyond reality in terms of what humans can do, but it’s also something that’s weirdly plausible. So if it means you’ll cover it on io9, I think. Yes, it’s absolutely [a superpower].”
Given his track record, fans are already trying to guess whether Johnson’s “light sci-fi” project could somehow connect to Poker Face because its nostalgic 1970s energy and detective storytelling wouldn’t be a bad fit. Whatever it turns out to be, Johnson sounds completely energized by it.
“The most exciting thing right now is this idea I have in my head for the next thing I’m gonna make, and I think ultimately, that’s all you can do, is just kind of follow your nose.”
Before Johnson jumps into the new project, audiences will return to Benoit Blanc’s world when Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery opens in select theaters on November 26 and hits Netflix on December 12.
Whatever Johnson is cooking for his next movie, it’s safe to say we’re in for something uniquely his own with his sharp, strange, and fun storytelling style.