Last week, Rian Johnson revealed that the third Knives Out movie would be titled Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Since Johnson’s announcement, the cast has expanded.
Josh O’Connor and Cailee Spaeny joined Wake Up Dead Man first, followed by Andrew Scott, Glenn Close, and Kerry Washington. Per Deadline, Jeremy Renner and Mila Kunis are the latest actors to join Johnson’s third Knives Out mystery. Daniel Craig returns for the third outing as Benoit Blanc, the world-renowned detective tasked with solving the murders at the center of each film.
EXCLU: With his TV show MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN bowing this weekend, Jeremy Renner has now found his first film following his miraculous recovery following a snowplower accident as he is set to join next KNIVES OUT movie https://t.co/ScNjio1AY0
— Justin Kroll (@krolljvar) May 30, 2024
Johnson returns as the writer and director of Wake Up Dead Man, and production is set to start next month. Details about the plot and location are still under wraps. Knives Out transpired at a Massachusetts mansion, while Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery was set on a private island in Greece.
The Knives Out franchise is no stranger to star-studded casts headlined by Craig, the man who played James Bond for five films. Knives Out’s ensemble featured Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, LaKeith Stanfield, and Christopher Plummer. Glass Onion’s impressive cast included Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista.
We’re about to go into production on the 3rd one, and I’m very, very excited to share the title, which gives a little hint of where it’s going.
— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) May 24, 2024
Released in 2019, Knives Out was a big hit for Lionsgate, grossing over $312 million worldwide on a $40 million budget. The franchise moved to Netflix after Johnson signed a $469 million contract with the streamer for two sequels. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery premiered in December 2022 and currently sits ninth on the list of Netflix’s most popular English films.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will arrive in 2025 on Netflix.