Mila Kunis and Josh O'Connor are part of the star-studded cast that will join Daniel Craig in the upcoming third 'Knives Out' film.
At this point, it's easy to imagine that writer-director Rian Johnson creates some sort of Thanos-type gauntlet for each installment of the Knives Out franchise -- assembling as many talented A-list performers as he can to join Daniel Craig's Detective Benoit Blanc in his newest, twist-packed mystery.
Johnson and Netflix announced the third installment in the fun franchise in May 2024, sharing little more than the title: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. The new film follows the original Knives Out -- released in 2019 -- as well as 2022's Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
"I love everything about whodunits, but one of the things I love most is how malleable the genre is," the director shared on social media before announcing the threequel’s title. "There’s a whole tonal spectrum from Carr to Christie, and getting to explore that range is one of the most exciting things about making Benoit Blanc movies."
Casting information for Wake Up Dead Man started to roll in after the film's announcement, with Craig to be joined by stars like Josh O'Connor (The Crown, Challengers), Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla, Civil War), Andrew Scott (Fleabag, Ripley), Kerry Washington (Scandal, Little Fires Everywhere), Glenn Close (The Wife, The New Look), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye, Mayor of Kingstown), Mila Kunis (Bad Moms, Luckiest Girl Alive), Daryl McCormack (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande), Josh Brolin (Avengers: Endgame, Dune franchise) and Thomas Haden Church (Spider-Man 3, Easy A).
"We’ve been very lucky with each of these movies to have gathered some of my favorite actors on the planet, and that’s absolutely the case here," Johnson said of the film to TUDUM.com. "They’re also all lovely folks who get along, which is the dinner party aspect of it. When you’re making an ensemble movie like this I think that’s key."
In June 2024, fans started to get their first looks from the London set of Wake Up Dead Man as production began. One pic showed Kunis -- wearing some type of policeman's uniform -- walking alongside O'Connor as they blocked out a scene.
The Knives Out Instagram page also marked the first day of filming by sharing the first look at Craig's character in the upcoming film, which is notably differently from the first two installments. Dressed dapper as ever in a three-piece suit, this Benoit Blanc sports longer hair and stubble in the black-and-white photo, captioned, "Day one. #WakeUpDeadMan."
Read on to see everything we know about Benoit Blanc's latest mystery.
CAST
Daniel Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc
The only constant main character throughout the first two Knives Out films has been Detective Benoit Blanc, Craig's deep-thinking, country-fried detective, who gets his answers -- and his killers -- even when it seems like all is lost.
In January 2023, Johnson teased whether fans could expect to see Hugh Grant return as Craig's love interest in another Knives Out movie after he appeared in Glass Onion.
"Honestly, you throw a rock in here and you'll hit somebody that I'd love to have in one of the mystery movies. So, we'll see," he told ET at the Moet platform at the 2023 Golden Globe Awards before discussing a potential continuation of the romance between Grant and Craig's characters. "We'll see. Look, I should only be so lucky to have Hugh Grant in more mystery movies. We'll see what happens. Everything is a maybe."
Josh O'Connor
Fresh off his buzzed-about performance in Challengers -- a sharp contrast to his posh period piece roles in The Crown and Emma -- it will be interesting to see what kind of character O'Connor steps into in the new Knives Out film, though no details have yet been announced.
Cailee Spaeny
The Priscilla star is another hot young starlet to join the Knives Out franchise after showing her range already in 2024 with her performance in not only Sofia Coppola's emotional biopic, but also in Alex Garland's harrowing dystopian thriller, Civil War.
Andrew Scott
OK, he's not just "Hot Priest" anymore, but it's hard to look at Scott and not feel blessed by his role in the second season of Fleabag. Since then, however, the Irish actor -- who gained early career recognition for his chilling Moriarty on the BBC's Sherlock -- has gone on to starring roles in acclaimed films like All of Us Strangers and TV series like Ripley, leaving the door wide open as to what kind of character he'll bring to the franchise.
Kerry Washington
Washington has focused on some heavier dramatic fair since her seven-season run on Scandal, however, fans will hopefully get to see her quipping and girl-bossing once again in her unknown role in Wake Up Dead Man.
Glenn Close
The latest acting legend to join the Knives Out franchise, Close, 77, has taken on a diverse slate of film and television roles in recent years -- it will be a thrill to see what Johnson has in story for her in Wake Up Dead Man.
Jeremy Renner
The upcoming film will be Renner's first feature project since his life-threatening snowplow accident in January 2023. Since his epic run as Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the actor has been starring on the Paramount+ series Mayor of Kingstown.
Mila Kunis
While she broke out as a comedic actress, Kunis' recent projects have including mystery thriller Luckiest Girl Alive and harrowing addiction drama Four Good Days (in which Close played her mother -- a possible casting hint?). It will be interesting to see what side of the actress Johnson harnesses in the upcoming film.
Daryl McCormack
The Irish actor, best known for his roles in Peaky Blinders and Bad Sisters, as well as his BAFTA-nominated performance in Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, will be part of the latest Knives Out ensemble -- though, like the rest of his castmates, nothing is yet known about his role.
Josh Brolin
Following celebrated turns in the MCU and Dune movies, Brolin is joining another franchise in Wake Up Dead Man. Time will tell, however, his character is a loyal advisor like Gurney Halleck, or a genocidal villain like Thanos.
Thomas Haden Church
From Thanos (Brolin) to Sandman from Spider-Man: No Way Home and Spider-Man 3, Thomas Haden Church joins the star-studded film. The actor, best known for his work in projects like Easy A, Sideways, and Divorce, has been cast in an unknown role.
PLOT
Netflix announced Wake Up Dead Man in May 2024, revealing next to nothing about the upcoming film -- apart from its title.
The teaser video featured a voiceover from Craig as Benoit, which ominously hinted that the franchise's third installment might be more harrowing than its predecessors.
"In the beginning, the knives came out. Then behold, the glass was shattered," Detective Blanc recalls in the brief clip over suspenseful music. "But my most dangerous case yet is about to be revealed."
There may be some clues to glean from the title, which follows Johnson's naming convention from the first two Knives Out installments. The first film got its name from a Radiohead song, while Glass Onion was named for a Beatles track.
Meanwhile, U2 fans will recognize Wake Up Dead Man as a song from the Irish band off their 1997 album, Pop.
"Pop is a very underrated album, and that song is very right for the title," Johnson told TUDUM.com. "But I’ve had 'Wake Up Dead Man' in my head for a long while, and I first heard the phrase in American folk music."
FIRST LOOKS & TRAILERS
In June 2024, the Knives Out Instagram page shared the first look at Craig's character in the upcoming film, which is notably differently from the first two installments. Dressed dapper as ever in a three-piece suit, this Benoit Blanc sports longer hair and stubble in the black-and-white photo, captioned, "Day one. #WakeUpDeadMan."
That same month, fans started to get their first looks from the London set of Wake Up Dead Man as production began. One pic showed Kunis -- wearing some type of policeman's uniform -- walking alongside O'Connor as they blocked out a scene.
PRODUCTION & RELEASE DATES
Casting announcements began in March 2024, and Johnson later announced that June 10, 2024 marked the first day of filming.
Plans are currently to release the third Knives Out film in 2025.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery comes to Netflix globally in 2025.
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