'A lot of things about this film were really personal'

Director Rian Johnson joins stars Josh O'Connor, Andrew Scott and Cailee Spaeny to talk about Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, on Netflix from December 12

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Before and after Josh O'Connor read the script of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, he opened up to filmmaker Rian Johnson about the religious doubt he was grappling with.

The 35-year-old Emmy-winning The Crown star says: “We had some big conversations about religion, and about doubt about certainty and truth.

“I really felt like there were things that I, and many of us, are really grappling with at the moment.”

The actor, who also starred in Challengers, adds that it can be “incredibly confusing” finding your place in the world, “And I think, [religion] was something that I was immediately intrigued by.”

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is the third chapter of Johnson's murder mystery franchise, where detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, returns for his most dangerous and darkest case yet.

It follows a young priest, Jud Duplenticy, played by O'Connor, who is being disciplined by his church elders and is sent to assist charismatic monsignor Jefferson Wicks, played by Josh Brolin, at a tiny, secluded parish in upstate New York. After a sudden and seemingly impossible murder impacts the town, the lack of an obvious suspect prompts local police chief Geraldine Scott, played by Mila Kunis, to join forces with detective Blanc to unravel the mystery.

Wicks' modest but devoted flock includes devout church lady Martha Delacroix, played by Glenn Close, circumspect groundskeeper Samson Holt, played by Thomas Haden Church, and tightly wound lawyer Vera Draven, played by Kerry Washington.