Glass Onion: A Knife Mystery Director Rian Johnson looks back on the opportunity he had to film a scene with Dame Angela Lansbury before her recent passing. Lansbury is an iconic stage and screen actress whose career spanned 8 decades and multiple genres, from the 1944 thriller gaslight to the series of murder mysteries 1986-1994 Murder she wrote to the 1991 Disney animated musical Beauty and the Beast, in which she performed the title song as the anthropomorphic teapot Mrs. potts. She is also the winner of multiple Oscars, Emmys, and Golden Globes, among other accolades. Sadly Lansbury passed away this week on October 11 at the age of 96.
It was recently revealed that both Lansbury and Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim (who passed away in November 2021) will be performing posthumously in Glass Onionthe upcoming sequel to the hit murder mystery movie Blades off. During their performances, their characters will video chat with the film’s protagonists – including Daniel Craig returning as Detective Benoit Blanc and an all-new set of suspects played by stars such as Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, Janelle Monáe and Kate Hudson. These apparitions are references to the murder mystery legacy of both icons, including Lansbury’s stint on Murder she wrote and Sondheim’s 1973 film The last of Sheilathose elements of Glass Onion.
Per DeadlineJohnson turned to Lansbury’s Glass Onion role at a press event at the London Film Festival recently. At the event, he revealed his reflections on the opportunity to work with both Lansbury and Sondheim Glass Onion. He was shocked and honored that they both said yes and shared”in person just being able to have 10 minutes with each of them to tell them what their work has meant to me was really specialRead his full quote below:
They were so nice and so generous. We thought, my God, would any of them ever do it? We didn’t think they would. And they were both so cool.
For both of them, in addition to just having the honor of having them in the film, was able to personally have 10 minutes with each of them to tell them what their work has meant to me.
Glass Onion Could Be Angela Lansbury’s Last Movie
Lansbury’s career has spanned over 100 different film and television credits, and Glass Onion could very well be her last appearance. The actress was in the last years of her life, and before her role in Glass Onion, she hadn’t performed since 2018, when she played Balloon Lady in Mary Poppins returns and Mayor McGerkle agreed The Grinch. Part of the reason she agreed to appear in Glass Onion after several years off the screen was the short production schedule and the fact that they filmed in her own home.
For now it seems that Glass Onion: A Knife Mystery will indeed be her last posthumous performance. While it’s possible she’s filmed other roles from her home or will appear in a project that’s been stuck in post-production for over half a decade, both options are somewhat unlikely. It certainly looks like the mystery’s theatrical release in November (in anticipation of a Netflix drop on December 25) will be the last new Lansbury rendition to hit theaters, something fans wishing to honor her legacy will bear in mind. should keep in mind when planning their fall viewing schedules.
Source: Deadline
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Glass Onion: A Knife Mystery
