Netflix Releases Teaser for Meiji-Era Samurai Survival Series

Netflix is set to release two highly anticipated projects later in 2025: the historical action-drama series Last Samurai Standing and the mystery film Daggers from Behind: From the Dead, the third installment in the Knives Out franchise. Last Samurai Standing, based on Shogo Imamura's Ikusagami novels, is a battle royale-style series set in Japan's Meiji period, where 292 samurai compete in a deadly contest for a 100 billion yen prize, blending intense sword fights and survival drama reminiscent of Squid Game and Shogun. The series stars Junichi Okada and showcases epic action sequences combining practical effects and CGI, premiering on Netflix on November 13 after screening at the Busan International Film Festival. Meanwhile, Knives Out 3, titled Daggers from Behind: From the Dead, returns detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, to solve a murder mystery set in a church, with a darker and more Gothic tone, featuring a star-studded cast including Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, and Kerry Washington. Directed by Rian Johnson, the film emphasizes themes of faith, guilt, and morality, and will be released in select cinemas on November 26 before debuting on Netflix on December 12. Both projects highlight Netflix's strategy of delivering high-profile, genre-spanning content to close out the year with historical drama and intricate mystery narratives.