Wake Up Dead Man Ends Knives Out Streak: Box Office Disappointment During Thanksgiving!

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery has ended a significant box office run for the series. This latest film is the third entry in the mystery series helmed by writer-director Rian Johnson. Set for a Netflix release on December 12, 2025, the film began showing in select theaters on November 26.

According to Deadline, as of Saturday morning, Wake Up Dead Man is expected to garner a three-day total of $1.5 million and a five-day total of $2.5 million domestically over the Thanksgiving period. This positions it at seventh place in box office rankings, trailing behind Eternity, The Running Man, Predator: Badlands, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, Wicked: For Good, and Zootopia 2.

This is the first time a Knives Out film has not debuted in the domestic top five. While each of the three films by Rian Johnson premiered during the Thanksgiving weekend, the original 2019 movie opened at No. 2 with $26.8 million over three days and $41.4 million over five days.

Its 2022 sequel, Glass Onion (also a Netflix original with a limited theatrical run), opened at No. 3 with a three-day total of $9.4 million and a five-day total of $13.3 million.

Though Wake Up Dead Man was shown in only 600 theaters, significantly fewer than Knives Out (3,461) or even Glass Onion (696), its per-screen earnings are also notably lower compared to the earlier films. It is projected to earn $4,166 per theater over the holiday weekend, compared to $11,965 for Knives Out and $19,080 for Glass Onion.

Had Wake Up Dead Man achieved a per-screen average similar to Knives Out, it would have brought in $7.2 million, landing it at No. 4 between Predator ($6.4 million) and Now You See Me ($10 million). Following Glass Onion‘s example, a $11.4 million result would have placed it at No. 3, just under Wicked ($93.5 million) and Zootopia (approximately $155 million).

The underwhelming box office numbers don’t necessarily predict failure on Netflix. One reason for optimism is the film’s strong critical reception; Wake Up Dead Man has secured a Certified Fresh rating of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is the second highest in the series behind Knives Out (97%).

It’s possible that in the six years since the original and three years since Glass Onion, the audience’s preference may have shifted towards viewing the series on streaming platforms rather than in cinemas. Thus, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery might resemble a typical Netflix film in theaters more than its predecessors.