20 facts you might not know about 'Glass Onion'

Johnson talked about wanting to do a “Knives Out” sequel featuring a new Benoit Blanc mystery before his first film even came out. The film's success led to a fervor of a bidding war from various streaming services. Netflix outbid Apple and Amazon for two “Knives Out” sequels, splashing $469 million on the deal. An unnamed representative from one of the losing bidders called the deal “mind-boggling.”

Johnson was writing “Glass Onion” in 2020, in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic and the assorted lockdowns that arose. He set the film in Greece in part because of a desire to travel abroad at a time when that was not logistically possible.

The idea of a whodunit unfolding on a vacation is not a new concept. It happened to Hercule Poirot a few times, including “Death on the Nile,” one of the films that inspired “Glass Onion.” Johnson also cited “Evil Under the Sun” and also “The Last of Sheila.” The latter is a somewhat-unknown film that has basically resurfaced solely because Johnson is constantly citing it as a major influence in his Benoit Blanc movies.

“Knives Out” is named after a Radiohead song. When thinking up a title for his sequel, Johnson wanted a title that brought up the idea of something hidden in plain sight. He thought of glass and then searched his phone for songs with “glass” in the title. From here, he landed on the Beatles’ song “Glass Onion,” which then, in turn, surely changed the script a bit since “glass onion” is referenced a few times in the movie.

Nobody would call Craig’s Benoit Blanc accent subtle or nuanced, but it is also far afield from his natural British accent. As such, the actor had to work with a dialect coach in order to remember how to do his “CSI: KFC” Southern accent for the character.

Apparently, for a period of time, Johnson had a bold idea. He was going to have Blanc inexplicably speak with a different accent in each of his films. However, that was only a fleeting notion, and Johnson went back to the Southern accent for Blanc.

Johnson envisioned casting his ensemble piece as “throwing a dinner party.” Of course, he was doing it at a time when actual dinner parties weren’t happening. Kathryn Hahn, for example, was cast after a series of Zoom calls with Johnson. Additionally, apparently, Johnson cold-called Dave Bautista and asked him to audition for the film.

There are two guys you can count on to be in every Johnson film, even if it is only in a small way. One is Noah Segan, and he plays Derol (who you can just ignore) in “Glass Onion.” Of course, since he played Trooper Wagner in “Knives Out,” he had to have quite a different look from Derol. The other constant for Johnson is a cameo from Joseph Gordon-Levitt. This time, JGL provided the voice of Miles’ clock, aka the Hourly Dōng.

In a memorable early scene, we see Benoit Blanc playing “Among Us” with a motley crew: Natasha Lyonne, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Stephen Sondheim, and Angela Lansbury. Unfortunately, both Sondheim and Lansbury both passed away prior to “Glass Onion” being released.

Johnson and company did indeed head to Greece to film “Glass Onion.” Specifically, they went to the island of Spetses and found a hotel on the island that could also serve as a filming location for the movie. On top of that, it is also where most of the cast and their families stayed while filming, giving the movie a “summer vacation” vibe, in the words of Johnson. Additionally, the New York City scenes were actually shot in Belgrade, Serbia.

One of the primary jokes in “Glass Onion” is that billionaire Miles Bron is not all that bright and also prizes extravagance over everything else. His house is filled with art, but much of it clashes. Not only that, a Mark Rothko painting is hanging upside down. This was done to show Bron’s lack of real knowledge of art in spite of his immense collection.

Actor and magician Ricky Jay was supposed to be in “Knives Out,” but he died before he could begin filming. His part was played by M. Emmet Walsh, but a photo of “Knives Out” appears in the film. In “Glass Onion,” Miles mentions that his puzzle guy was mentored by Ricky Jay, giving him another nod from Johnson.

For the game “Among Us,” Lansbury and Sondheim have clever gamer tags you can see if you pause the film. It’s a classic freeze-frame Easter Egg. Lansbury’s username is “MSheSolved,” a reference to “Murder, She Wrote.” Sondheim’s is “FleetSt,” a reference to “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” Fittingly, Lansbury also originated the role of Mrs. Lovett in “Sweeney Todd.”

Derol’s surfboard in his room has an unusual marking on it. However, if you are familiar with Johnson’s filmography, you may have recognized it. It’s the marking from the tunnel in “Brick,” which was Johnson’s directorial debut.

Why does Hawke show up in a one-scene cameo as a character simply credited as “Efficient Man?” Well, the convenience of location. Hawke was in Hungary shooting “Moon Knight,” hence his long hair, when “Glass Onion” was shooting in Greece. He came to Greece to shoot his cameo in one day.

In “Knives Out,” Benoit Blanc references Thomas Pynchon’s novel “Gravity’s Rainbow,” though he admits he’s never read it and just likes the phrase. In “Glass Onion,” Serena Williams is seen reading “Gravity’s Rainbow.”

Johnson titled his movie “Glass Onion.” Netflix added “A Knives Out Mystery” as a subtitle. This decision made Johnson “pıssed.” He explained that “the whole appeal to me is it’s a new novel off the shelf every time,” thus the annoyance at the addendum to his title.

Netflix movies are, well, Netflix movies. However, there were reports, perhaps at the cajoling of Johnson, that “Glass Onion” would get a 45-day theatrical run prior to debuting on the streaming service. Instead, it got a one-week “sneak preview” release over Thanksgiving week before being pulled and then dropped on Netflix on December 23. Netflix has effectively said this theatrical release was mostly an attempt to market “Glass Onion” hitting the streaming service in December.

In addition to being named one of the National Board of Review’s 10-best movies of 2022, “Glass Onion” has gotten several award nominations. This comes from awards such as the Golden Globes, the Critic’s Choice Awards, and various regional critical groups. Much of the love has been for Janelle Monae, who has a memorable turn playing twins in the film.

As noted, Netflix’s deal was for two “Knives Out” sequels. Craig and Johnson have both said they are done to do a third film, provided the other is involved. Johnson said in November of 2022, he’s begun writing a third Benoit Blanc mystery, so expect that in the near future.