Part of what makes Johnson and other directors of his caliber so interesting is that they are proud nerds. When Johnson approached “Star Wars” with “The Last Jedi,” he made a film born out of what he wanted to see from the franchise. When it comes to “Knives Out,” he creates a film modern enough to speak to a general audience, but with enough pastiche to revive interest in the genre’s stagnation.
As a fan of Agatha Christe and her entertainment empire, Johnson knows that the murder mystery genre also has power beyond novels and movies. When asked if there was potential in making a tabletop game based on “Knives Out”, Johnson enthusiastically replied, “Are you kidding? Come on, come over to me, please. I’m shouting it from the roof; let’s make some games.”
Again, being a genre nerd, it’s clear Johnson knows his stuff. There’s a long history of tabletop games born out of film and TV, and “Knives Out” would fit naturally into its investigative hooks. “My wife gave me the board game ‘Columbo,’ which was actually pretty good,” Johnson added. “Our friend collects board games, and there’s the game ‘Murder She Wrote’, and I remember playing the game ’21 Baker Street’. Anyway yes, the answer is yes, yes, a thousand times, yes, please. “