Rian Johnson explains how Poker Face fits into the world of Knives Out and Glass Onion while also teasing a potential crossover in his upcoming third Knives Out mystery. Poker Face follows the howcatchem style of murder mystery popularized by the classic detective series Columbo. The series follows Charlie Cale, who has an uncanny ability to spot lies. While on the road, she is pulled into a new mystery with a cast of unique characters in each episode that she can't help but solve.In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Johnson explained how Poker Face fits into the world of Knives Out. He specifically broke down the Among Us scene from Glass Onion, including how he included Lyonne and what it means for the Knives Out universe. Johnson then teased a fun way he could have Poker Face cross over with the next Knives Out movie.Natasha was in the Among Us scene with Benoit Blanc. Do Poker Face and Glass Onion take place in the same universe, and could we potentially see a little team-up?
Rian Johnson: Well, you want to hear a twisted web? Try and untangle this. She is Natasha in that she's in her trailer on the set of Poker Face. If you look at her background, it's her trailer. She's in between takes when we're shooting Poker Face. I just said, "Get on the Zoom real quick and do it."
So, I have no idea how you untangle that. I guess in the Glass Onion universe, Poker Face is a show that's being shot. I'll have an episode of Poker Face on the background in the next Benoit Blanc mystery, maybe.
What A Knives Out And Poker Face Crossover Could Look Like
With Poker Face being a television series within the Knives Out universe, similar to Lightyear being a movie within the Toy Story universe, it seems a partnership between Charlie Cale and Benoit Blanc is not on the horizon. However, Johnson further fleshing out the world with Poker Face playing on a television in the background could be a fun Easter egg crossover. It also raises the question of how Benoit Blanc became friends with Lyonne within the Knives Out universe. Perhaps Charlie's ability to spot lies was inspired by Benoit Blanc's own acute sense of perception.
What could be interesting is Benoit Blanc, a famous detective in this world, appearing in an episode of Poker Face, perhaps as a nod to his friendship with Lyonne. Another intriguing possibility would be to have a story take place on the set of Poker Face. If a murder were to happen on the fictional set of Poker Face and Lyonne called in Benoit Blanc for help, the comedic possibilities are endless. Blanc could expect Lyonne to share Charlie's superpower, and whether she proves adept at mysteries or not could lead to some hilarious banter between the pair.
Johnson has also expressed interest in having Jamie Lee Curtis guest star in a potential second season of Poker Face. This could lead to another Knives Out crossover, either as an Easter egg for fans or a callback to the first in the murder mystery franchise. While a team-up between Charlie Cale and Benoit Blanc seems unlikely, the unique way that Johnson has tied the series into the universe he is building could lead to some fun Easter eggs or even larger plots that explore the friendship between Benoit Blanc and Lyonne.