The Sinister Reason Netflix Spent $469 Million On Knives Out

Netflix’s acquisition of two Knives Out sequels came with a hefty price tag, but the streamer is playing the long game. The original Knives Out was a phenomenon upon its 2019 release. The film, from writer-director Rian Johnson, gave audiences the increasingly rare delight of a sharply-written, wholly original theatrical property. The film played a heavy part in revitalizing the murder-mystery genre and reached box office heights seldom seen with modern mid-budget films. In today’s risk-averse blockbuster landscape, the greenlighting of such a film is a minor miracle.