The Rickroll and 'Wake Up Dead Man' share a surprising connection

Rian Johnson confirmed.
 By 
Tim Marcin
 on 
rian johnson on the left and rick astley on the right
There is a funny common thread between these two. Credit: Mashable composite: (L) Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images (R) Mike Prior/Getty Images

There was a time — years ago, mind you — that "Rickrolling" someone was the peak of internet humor.

If you don't know what this is, bless your either young or old heart. The nearly 20-year-old prank was simple: You'd get someone to unknowingly click the link to the cheesy music video for Rick Astley's '80s classic "Never Gonna Give You Up." Boom, you've just been Rickrolled.

Well, in a neat bit of synergy, the latest installment of the beloved-by-the-internet series Knives Out actually shared a location with the filming of "Never Gonna Give You Up." Director Rian Johnson confirmed on Bluesky that the gym scene in Wake Up Dead Man was shot where Astley filmed his classic music video. Surprisingly, not that much of anyone cared on set.


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"This is true, and I was the only one on set excited about it (and playing the song on my phone to blank stares)," he wrote in response to a post that pointed out the fun fact.

This is true and I was the only one on set excited about it (and playing the song on my phone to blank stares)

[image or embed]

— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson.bsky.social) December 29, 2025 at 11:21 PM

For the curious, it appears that the shared location is the Harrow Club in London, which was once a church. So, yes, Wake Up Dead Man and "Never Gonna Give You Up" share some creative DNA. What a world.

close-up of man's face
Tim Marcin
Associate Editor, Culture

Tim Marcin is an Associate Editor on the culture team at Mashable, where he mostly digs into the weird parts of the internet. You'll also see some coverage of memes, tech, sports, trends, and the occasional hot take. You can find him on Bluesky (sometimes), Instagram (infrequently), or eating Buffalo wings (as often as possible).

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