Netflix has agreed a deal for two sequels to 2019 whodunnit Knives Out, the streaming giant said. The company did not say how much it had paid for the films, but US outlet Deadline, which broke the news, said it would be worth more than 400 million dollars (£290 million). That would make the deal one of the most expensive ever for a streamer, in what is an increasingly competitive market. Knives Out was written and directed by Rian Johnson and starred Daniel Craig as the mysterious and debonair private detective Benoit Blanc. He is called to investigate the death of a wealthy novelist and suspicion falls on his money-grabbing family. The ensemble cast also featured a knitwear-clad Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Lakeith Stanfield and the late Christopher Plummer. James Bond star Craig, 53, won critical acclaim for his portrayal of Southern gentleman Blanc, while Johnson earned an Oscar nomination for best original screenplay. Craig will reprise his role as Blanc in the sequels. His fifth and final outing as 007, No Time To Die, is set for release in October following multiple pandemic-enforced delays. Knives Out was a critical and commercial success and grossed over 311 million dollars (£225 million) at the box office against a 40 million dollar (£29 million) budget. Netflix is the most popular streaming service, with more than 200 million subscribers around the world. Its main rivals include Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video.