Netflix has acquired the rights to the next two Knives Out films in a deal reportedly worth $450 million (£327 million).

Rian Johnson’s original 2019 film was a massive box office success, earning $311.4 million (£226 million) on a $40 million (£29 million) budget.

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A Knives Out sequel was officially announced back in February 2020. According to Variety, the rights to that film and a further Knives Out movie have now been bought by Netflix.

Johnson, who was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at both the BAFTAs and the Oscars for the original Knives Out, will write and direct the two new films. Daniel Craig will reprise his role as the private detective Benoit Blanc.

According to Deadline, the first Knives Out sequel will begin shooting on June 28 in Greece, and casting will begin immediately.

It’s unclear whether the Knives Out sequels will receive a separate release in cinemas in addition to their streaming runs on Netflix. A release date has yet to be mooted.

Daniel Craig will next be seen starring as James Bond for the final time in the much-delayed No Time To Die.

In a four star review of Knives Out, NME said: “Everything about this film is a hoot. Johnson’s control of so many characters and so many plot twists is extremely impressive, even more so for being so un-showy.

“He gets out of the film’s way and lets his story go haring off in all sorts of directions until it winds up at an ending that makes sense of a whole lot of madness that precedes it.”