Wake Up, Knives Out Fans!
It’s time to get excited—this marks the arrival of the third installment in the whodunnit saga: Wake Up, Dead Man: Knives Out Mystery, which has just started streaming on Netflix.
Rian Johnson, the mind behind the script and direction, has taken the series in a fresh direction. The first movie, which came out in 2019, whisked us away to a charming mansion in New England. Then came the second film, Glass Onion, which offered a sunny escape to a picturesque Greek island. Now, we find ourselves amidst the shadows of a church, fittingly evoking the darkness that Hozier might sing about!
In Wake Up, Dead Man, Josh O’Connor takes on the role of the well-meaning Reverend Jud Duprentici, assigned to a small-town church with a rather eccentric and irritable head priest, played by Josh Brolin. Trouble brews when a mysterious death strikes the community, prompting Benoît Blanc—portrayed by Daniel Craig—to dive in and assist Jud in uncovering the truth. The film also features a talented ensemble, including Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, and others, but its vibe is definitely darker compared to the earlier films, largely due to its gothic church backdrop in upstate New York.
Ironically, though the film’s setting is meant to evoke New York, most of it was actually shot elsewhere. Curious about the details? Keep reading to find out where Wake Up, Dead Man was filmed.
Where Was Knives Out 3 Filmed?
Interestingly, a significant portion of Knives Out 3 was filmed in London and its surrounding areas. The exterior scenes of the church were captured at the Church of the Holy Innocents, located in Epping Forest, Essex, not far from London.
Production designer Rick Heinrich shared in a press interview that finding an appropriate church was quite a challenge—many looked too modern or simply didn’t fit the bill. In the quest for authenticity, they noticed that some mid-19th century American churches had styles that meshed well with English options, ultimately leading them to choose the Church of the Holy Innocents. Heinrich described it as having a “storybook charm” nestled within an old cemetery, which was exactly the aesthetic that Rian was going for.
For the interior, however, the filmmakers opted to construct a set from scratch on a soundstage. Heinrich mentioned that the live church interior was “disappointingly bland,” so they crafted a more dynamic atmosphere, installing special lighting to create the right ambiance. They even designed the pulpit to resemble a ship’s bow, nodding to Orson Welles’ Father Maple from the 1956 film Moby Dick.
There are, of course, a few establishing shots filmed in upstate New York to give the film that authentic touch. Reports indicate that production was spotted in the quaint village of Cold Spring, using spots like Fair Street and North Street.
So that’s the scoop! While Wake Up, Dead Man represents an American story, most of the action took place in England—likely a strategic move for tax benefits!
