Rian Johnson Earns an Oscar Nod for ‘Knives Out’

Early this morning, John Cho and Issa Rae announced the nominees for the 92nd Academy Awards, and among them was Rian Johnson for his widely acclaimed murder/mystery Knives Out.

Knives Out took the world by storm, bringing in over $250 million worldwide, and it’s no doubt the smart, witty, and hilarious script penned by Johnson is what fueled it as one of this year’s highest-rated films. It was nominated for Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, among many others, but today it earned one of the highest honors — an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Script. A nod duly earned.

Featuring an all-star ensemble cast including Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, and Christopher Plummer, the tale of the Thrombey/Drysdale family succeeded beyond expectations. Johnson’s complicated, twisting plot guided by these superstar performers was a catalyst for greatness, and we can only hope the rumors of a sequel featuring Craig’s savvy Southern detective Benoit Blanc are true. Knives Out was a blast from its classic mystery music beginning to the iconic final shot, with the rewatches being just as delightful and amusing as you discover the trail of clues Johnson left in plain sight all along the way.

You can tune in to see if Rian Johnson, and all the other nominees, bring home the gold on February 9 at 8 p.m. EST live on ABC.

Check out the full list of Academy Award nominees here!