1 of 5 | Rian Johnson's murder mystery "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" will close out the BFI London Film Festival following its world premiere at TIFF. Photo courtesy of Netflix
Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will close out the upcoming BFI London Film Festival, the festival said Wednesday.
The closing night gala, which will take place on Oct. 16, will serve as the highly anticipated film's European premiere.
The film is directed by Rian Johnson (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) and will serve as a sequel to his critically acclaimed 2019 murder mystery Knives Out.
The Lionsgate-produced film saw critical and financial success, grossing over $300 million at the box office on a $40 million budget.
"I'm thrilled to be back at LFF with Glass Onion, and it's an honor to be closing the festival," Johnson said in a statement. "A proper whodunnit really does belong in London, so it feels a bit like coming home!"
Knives Out originally had its premiere at the London Film Festival in 2019, and officials said that they were excited to welcome its sequel.
"Rian Johnson's Knives Out was a major hit when we hosted the European premiere at the festival in 2019. Our audiences adored the film's wit and that it tipped its very stylish hat to the wonderful tradition of British on-screen sleuths," said BFI London Film Festival director Tricia Tuttle. "And here, Rian Johnson strikes gold again with the help of the year's hottest ensemble cast. Like its predecessor, Glass Onion is entertaining and culturally literate in equal measure, making some hilarious, razor-sharp observations about the world we live in."
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will star Daniel Craig, the James Bond actor being the only cast member from the 2019 film to return for the sequel.
Other cast members include Edward Norton, Janelle MonĂ¡e, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr. and Kate Hudson.
Most of these actors are expected to attend the festivities in London.
Prior to hitting European screens, the film is scheduled to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
Unlike its predecessor, which saw a wide theatrical release, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will be released by Netflix on its streaming platform.
Following the success of the original, Netflix paid a reported $450 million to acquire the rights from Lionsgate to helm at least two sequel films -- though a potential Knives Out 3 has not been confirmed.
The bombshell deal was reported by Variety as "one of the biggest deals ever made for the rights to a movie series."
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will begin streaming on Netflix in December. An official release date has not been announced.
The full BFI London Film Festival will run from Oct. 5 to Oct. 15.
