Wake Up Dead Man (Fr Scott Bailey): The Priest who Helped Hollywood Make a Murder Mystery Movie about the Church

When Hollywood director Rian Johnson started making Wake Up Dead Man, the new Knives Out mystery (a movie you can watch on Netflix), he needed some help. His uncle and aunt in Denver connected him with their pastor in Denver, Father Scott Bailey, who became an advisor to the project. He talks about the process and the big questions of this movie with me. (And I admit: I hated the beginning and stopped watching a few minutes in. After reading about Fr Scott online and finding several Catholic sources who praised the movie, I gave it another look. I’m glad I did, because I think it’s not only entertaining but also important … and beautiful.)

• Article in First Things by Father Scott about the movie and his role in it, “Wake Up Dead Man Captures the Beauty of Priestly Ministry,” January 5, 2026.
• Article in Denver Catholic about Fr Scott and the movie, “A Denver Priest, a Hollywood Director and a Bowl of Fettuccine: Father Scott Bailey Advises on Catholic Life for New ‘Knives Out’ Film” by Jay Sorgi, November 22, 2025.
• Screenplay of Wake Up Dead Man by Rian Johnson, the director and writer, available on his website.
• Fr Scott Bailey at the Archdiocese of Denver.

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