Warning! Spoilers for Scream.
Knives Out director Rian Johnson has joked about a Scream crossover featuring Daniel Craig's detective Benoit Blanc investigating a Ghostface killer. The 2022 installment in Wes Craven's satirical slasher horror series made a reference to the director's work, which currently includes a second Knives Out film. Craig is returning for Knives Out 2, which is set to be released by Netflix in 2022, while Scream 6 has just gotten the greenlight with plans to shoot the sequel this summer.
Released in 2019, Knives Out introduced the world to Craig's eccentric private detective Benoit Blanc, as he is hired to investigate the death and possible murder of wealthy author Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer). Having to question Harlan's nurse Marta (Ana de Armas) and his spoiled, scheming family, Knives Out threw audiences through loop after loop, subverting popular murder mystery tropes and audience expectations, with critics and audiences praising its cast, writing, and direction. A sequel was expected not too long after, with Netflix securing the rights for future films featuring Blanc and a new cast. With Johnson having been the subject of much discussion in recent years for his involvement in Star Wars and Knives Out, the latest entry in the Scream franchise featured a nod to his works, and now the director has returned the favor.
Taking to his personal Twitter account, Johnson joked about Scream's reference to him and his works. In the film, Johnson is revealed to have been the director of the eighth installment of the in-universe Stab franchise, a film revealed to have been responded negatively from toxic fans-turned-latest Ghostface killers Amber Freeman (Mikey Maddison) and Richie Kirsch (Jack Quaid), inspiring their latest killing spree in order to provide "source material" for future films. In Johnson's tweet, the director joked about a possible Scream 8 being a crossover that sees Blanc investigate a Ghostface killing spree. Check out Johnson's tweet below.
Click here to see Johnson's original tweet.
Johnson's Scream nod fit with the film's theme, as the film's co-writer stated that he had been explicitly inspired by responses to Johnson's work with The Last Jedi. Commenting on how the franchise had often made references to prominent directors at the time of each installment, screenwriter James Vanderbilt stated that they had hoped to explore fandom ownership and toxic fans' responses, taking note of the response to Johnson's work on Star Wars specifically. There were plans to go beyond a simple nod during production, with Scream's directors originally hoping that Johnson could make a quick cameo. Co-director Tyler Gillett stated they'd hoped to record a Stab press conference featuring Johnson but didn't reach out as the Knives Out director was working on his own sequel in Greece at the time.
While a crossover may not be likely amidst studio rights issues and other factors, fans can at least poke fun at the thought of Craig's detective being dragged into the latest Ghostface case. Despite that though, the Scream franchise and Knives Out aren't too dissimilar, as both were praised for their smart takes on their respective genres. With the Scream franchise set to continue following the latest installment's success, perhaps Johnson may take the helm of a future film.
Source: Rian Johnson
