‘Glass Onion’ cast, director peel back layers in making new ‘Knives Out’ whodunit

What is the key to a successful movie? Stuff it full of stars and use a smelly vegetable to describe it. That’s what “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” did … and it works. Just do me a favor: keep your distance.

Salty, raw and soooo strong.

Dave Bautista (as Duke Cody): “Crew, we’ve arrived.”

That’s what it’s like peeling back the layers of “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.”

Janelle Monáe: “This is a murder mystery party.”

Altoids, anyone?

Daniel Craig (as Benoit Blanc): “There is one guilty party behind it all.”

The original “Knives Out” was released in 2019 and became a bonafide whodunit hit.

Chris Evans (as Ransom Drysdale): “Tell me what happened to my grandfather.”

But can “Glass Onion” do the same? Do your eyes water when you cut onions?

Rian Johnson: “The vibe was strikingly similar to the first one, and we had some really good times together.”

Writer and director Rian Johnson says the sequel is bigger and better, and he “shallot” tell a lie.

Edward Norton (as Miles Bron): “Tonight, a murder will be committed, my murder.”

Dave Bautista (as Duke Cody): “Will we still be able to talk to you?”

Edward Norton (as Miles Bron): “Yeah, I’m not playing dead the whole weekend.”

Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, is back to save the day. He’s investigating a murder mystery party gone awry.

Rian Johnson: “We love being on set together. We were working together, we value the work for the same thing and, you know, that’s a rare thing.”

Daniel Craig: “It’s a rare thing, and if you get to find it, you cling on to it as hard as possible for as long as possible — until you hate each other. That’s just show business.”

Get this: assembling the A-list cast was easy peasy.

Edward Norton: “This is the spring of 2021. Let’s remember what was going on. We were in our living rooms, in our sweatpants for a year and a half.”

Janelle Monáe: “On the couch.”

Edward Norton: “And when the phone rang, we answered the phone and went, ‘Yes.’”

Janelle Monáe: “Yes, whoever it is.”

Edward Norton: “‘Now, who is this? Oh, Rian! Terrific. This is even better. What, Greece?’”

The actors felt like they learned something, too.

Kate Hudson: “Everybody’s had such amazing careers and has done films that I’ve really, really loved.”

Kathryn Hahn: “Yeah.”

Kate Hudson: “So to actually be in the room and see how everyone works and to be a part of it together was not only fun, but there was a lot of wisdom.”

The real standout of the movie? The writing. It’s clever, not tricky, an homage to writers like Truman Capote and Agatha Christie.

As for who done it? Can’t “leek” that one.

Why is the movie called “Glass Onion?” Because Johnson, the director, wanted the film’s title to refer to something hidden in plain sight. Plus, he Googled songs with the word “glass” and landed on “Glass Onion” by the Beatles. He’s such a huge fan of the group, he decided that would be the name of his sequel.

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