\n\t\u201cWe\u2019ve never had a plan to grow for growth\u2019s sake,\u201d Bergman tells Variety. \u201cWe\u2019re not trying to flip this into a studio deal or sell it off. It\u2019s about supporting filmmakers. That\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThat ethos has yielded everything from the Oscar-winning \u201cAmerican Fiction\u201d (2023) to the wildly successful \u201cKnives Out<\/a>\u201d franchise, the third installment of which, \u201cWake Up Dead Man<\/a>,\u201d debuts in theaters this week. <\/p>\n \n\tBut the real story of T-Street is not only the films but also the people who make them.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Netflix<\/p>\n \n\tLong before \u201cKnives Out\u201d became a pop culture phenomenon, Johnson and Bergman were already shaping their careers around artistic control by self-financing films. It was a practice that began as a necessity with Johnson\u2019s debut, \u201cBrick\u201d (2005), and later evolved into a principle.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cPeople told us not to put our own money in,\u201d Bergman says. \u201cBut if we\u2019re not willing to bet on ourselves, why should anyone else?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThat mindset birthed T-Street in the shadow of \u201cKnives Out.\u201d The first film was made independently and sold after completion. It was a gamble that paid off. The two-picture sequel deal with Netflix was wildly lucrative, bringing in an astounding $450 million<\/a>. But that deal is now up, and the rights remain with Johnson and Bergman. \u201cIt\u2019s still our franchise,\u201d Bergman notes.<\/p>\n \n\tJohnson is just as uncompromising, declaring no other person will write or direct a \u201cKnives Out\u201d movie. \u201cI don\u2019t see it as IP,\u201d he says. \u201cEach \u2018Knives Out\u2019 film is something I want to make. If that stops being the case, we won\u2019t do another one.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThat protective stance extends to the franchise\u2019s very DNA. Johnson has made clear he doesn\u2019t want returning characters beyond Benoit Blanc, ruling out any \u201cAvengers\u201d-style ensemble reunion that fans would expect (and some previous cast members, such as Kate Hudson, had advocated for). \u201cI love the fact that each one of these is entirely its own case, entirely its own mystery,\u201d Johnson asserts. \u201cI love actors, I want to keep working with new actors, too. At this point, I like the idea of having a new group of folks each time.\u201d It\u2019s a philosophy that keeps each film fresh while also ensuring Johnson remains the sole creative architect.<\/p>\n \n\tAnd while \u201cWake Up Dead Man\u201d marks the final installment of that deal, Johnson says the future of the Benoit Blanc mysteries remains unwritten \u2014 and entirely up to them. \u201cWe both feel energized coming out of this one,\u201d Johnson says with confidence. \u201cWhenever I get the next idea, we\u2019ll go from there.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tJohnson is currently writing an original movie, which they hope to begin shooting in 2026.<\/p>\n \n\tThe idea for the Benoit Blanc character had been percolating in Johnson\u2019s mind for years. Bergman revealed that Johnson first mentioned the murder mystery concept to his wife, Karina Longworth, on their first date \u2014 a full decade before \u201cKnives Out\u201d came to fruition. By early 2017, as the massive \u201cStar Wars: The Last Jedi\u201d production wound down and the team shrank from thousands to just a handful, Johnson began writing what would become the first film in the franchise.<\/p>\n \n\tWhile \u201cKnives Out\u201d flourished on the big screen, Johnson and Bergman also ventured into television with the killer-of-the-week thriller \u201cPoker Face,\u201d starring Natasha Lyonne as a casino worker with an uncanny ability to detect lies. The series, which aired on Peacock, earned critical acclaim and a couple of Emmy nominations. However, despite its critical and devoted fanbase success, Peacock canceled the show after two seasons.<\/a> Johnson and producer MRC are shopping around a new iteration of \u201cPoker Face\u201d with Peter Dinklage taking over for Lyonne in the lead role.<\/p>\n \n\tT-Street\u2019s reputation for secrecy means that Hollywood rumor mills often work overtime. When the buzz is fairly \u201csilent,\u201d that can breed speculation, usually, wildly off-base. Before \u201cWake Up Dead Man\u201d was unveiled at Toronto, rumors began circulating that it was \u201cawful,\u201d leaving some of us wondering if Johnson was going to step into his first major critical bomb. That didn\u2019t happen. In fact, the film currently sits at a robust 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. The team is unfazed by any online chatter and prefers to let the work speak for itself once it reaches audiences.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNetflix<\/p>\n \n\tIf T-Street is the machine, the engine is its producers: Nikos Karamigios, Ben LeClair, Leopold Hughes and Katie McNeill. Each one, handpicked and battle-tested, runs point on the company\u2019s tightly curated slate.<\/p>\n \n\tEach of T-Street\u2019s four lead producers arrived via different paths, but they share a creative shorthand that comes not just from years of working together but from a shared sense of purpose.<\/p>\n \n\tLeClair, the company\u2019s most senior member, started in a consultative capacity, helping Bergman and Johnson formalize a vision that would prioritize \u201cquality and originality\u201d over scale. \u201cThey didn\u2019t want a traditional company,\u201d he recalls. \u201cWe spent a long time discussing what it could be \u2014 and more importantly, what it shouldn\u2019t be.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tHughes, who began as an assistant on \u201cStar Wars: The Last Jedi,\u201d describes his induction into the fold as \u201calmost accidental.\u201d After several years supporting Johnson through postproduction, he was asked to stay. \u201cThere was never a grand plan,\u201d he says. \u201cJust a consistent belief in doing the work, and doing it well.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMcNeill, the newest addition, arrived during the industry\u2019s recent strikes. After previously bringing a project to T-Street for potential financing, she reached out to reconnect \u2014 only to find herself interviewing mid-conversation. \u201cIt was a little surreal,\u201d she shares. \u201cBen started introducing me to everyone and talking about the ethos of the company. Eventually, I had to ask \u2014 \u2018Wait, is this a job interview?’\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/themes\/pmc-variety-2020\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
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