'Glass Onion' filmmaker Rian Johnson to receive Creative Impact in Screenwriting Award

Academy Award nominee and "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" filmmaker Rian Johnson will receive the Creative Impact in Screenwriting Award from Variety at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

He will receive the award as part of the annual 10 Directors to Watch brunch on Jan. 6 at the Parker Palm Springs. The Palm Springs International Film Festival runs through Jan. 16, with the Film Awards taking place Jan. 5.

Johnson is an Academy Award and Golden Globe-nominated filmmaker known for crafting films with their own artfully designed voice and look and for telling unique stories that blend genres. He is currently in post-production on his first television series, "Poker Face," a "case-of-the-week" mystery comedy-drama starring Natasha Lyonne, Chloë Sevigny, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Adrien Brody and Stephanie Hsu, among others, which he wrote and directed several episodes. The series will premiere on the streaming services Peacock in January.

"Knives Out," a murder mystery starring Daniel Craig as world-famous detective Benoit Blanc, earned the filmmaker an Academy Award, Writers Guild of America and Critics Choice Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture – Musical or Comedy. Johnson's latest film, "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery," is a follow up and sends Benoit Blanc to Greece to peel back the layers of a mystery surrounding a tech billionaire and his eclectic crew of friends. The film also stars Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick and Madelyn Cline. It will be released on Netflix on Dec. 23.

Additional film credits include "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," "Looper," "The Brothers Bloom" and "Brick."

“The promise of Rian Johnson’s breakthrough neo-noir thriller ‘Brick’ was realized with Johnson’s wickedly smart sci-fi hit ‘Looper’, and breakthrough mainstream success followed with his joining the hallowed Star Wars franchise team,” Variety’s EVP of content Steven Gaydos said in a statement. “But it’s Johnson’s creation and direction of the sensational ‘Glass Onion’ comic crime film series that makes him one of world cinema’s most elegantly accomplished cinema stylists and a worthy heir to Agatha Christie and all the other greats of the ‘whodoneit’ genre.”

Past recipients of the Creative Impact in Screenwriting Award include Aaron Sorkin and Chris Rock. The award celebrates Johnson’s body of work.

Variety previously announced that Baz Luhrmann will receive the Creative Impact in Directing Award at its 10 Directors to Watch event.

Filmmakers who will receive honors at the Palm Springs International Film Awards include: Cate Blanchett (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress), Austin Butler (Breakthrough Performance Award, Actor), Viola Davis (Chairman’s Award), Danielle Deadwyler (Breakthrough Performance Award, Actress), Colin Farrell (Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actor), Bill Nighy (International Star Award, Actor), Sarah Polley (Director of the Year Award), Michelle Yeoh (International Star Award) and The Fabelmans (Vanguard Award).

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 'Glass Onion' filmmaker Rian Johnson to receive Palm Springs film award