Knives Out Franchise Financial Performance
Knives Out, directed by Rian Johnson and produced by T-Series and Lionsgate, earned 311 million dollars worldwide against a 40 million dollar budget. The sequel Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, released in 2022, grossed 150 million dollars globally, with Netflix reporting strong subscriber engagement during its first 28 days on the platform. These figures place the franchise among the most profitable modern mystery series for studios and streaming investors Forbes.
Lionsgate reported that Knives Out and Glass Onion together generated over 460 million dollars in global theatrical and streaming revenue. The production budget for Glass Onion was estimated at 60 million dollars, with Netflix acquiring the film for a reported 450 million dollar deal covering multiple original films over several years Forbes.
Comparable Murder Mystery Films With Strong Financials
Murder on the Orient Express, a 2017 adaptation starring Kenneth Branagh, earned 351 million dollars worldwide on a 55 million dollar budget. The film was produced by 20th Century Studios and released under the Walt Disney Company umbrella after the 21st Century Fox acquisition, which closed in March 2019 for 71.3 billion dollars SEC Filing.
Death on the Nile, released in 2022, grossed 137 million dollars globally against a 90 million dollar budget, with 20th Century Studios and The Mark Gordon Company as producers. Enola Holmes, a Netflix original distributed by Warner Bros., earned 131 million dollars worldwide, with Netflix reporting 76 million household views in its first 28 days Forbes.
Production Companies and Streaming Economics
Major studios such as Lionsgate, Netflix, and 20th Century Studios use data-driven acquisition models to bid on mystery films with built-in audiences. Netflix's 2021 agreement with Rian Johnson included exclusive global streaming rights for Glass Onion, a model that reduces theatrical risk and aligns with Netflix's strategy of owning original IP Forbes.
Lionsgate's distribution deal for Knives Out gave the studio a 70 percent share of North American box office revenue, a standard structure for mid-budget films. The company reported total fiscal year 2022 revenue of 4.32 billion dollars, with film and television segments contributing the majority of income SEC EDGAR.