A rundown of the new and returning cast of the third Knives Out film

Knives Out, the Netflix phenomenon thatches gathered a cult like following has announced the third movie in its franchise – Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. For the as yet uninitiated, the first two films have established Benoit Blanc, a gentleman detective with a delightful southern accent, as a key protagonist, snooping around elaborate mysteries in order to catch the killer.

After the success of the first Knives Out movie, the creative mastermind Rian Johnson sold the rights to two future instalments exclusively to Netflix in a whopping $450m (£353m) deal for the two sequels.

The previous two instalments of the Knives Out saga have been rather star studded, with names such as Chris Evans, Edward Norton, Dave Bautista, Janelle Monae, Leslie Odom Junior, Jamie Lee Curtis and Kate Hudson involved in the last two films. There have also been cameos from Dame Angela Lansbury, Hugh Grant, Natasha Lyonne, Yo-Yo Ma and Serena Williams.

Wake Up Dead Man seems to be no different to the other films when it comes to the calibre of the cast, with some big  names being confirmed for the lineup.

So, who of the beloved cast is returning for Knives Out three?

Daniel Craig is the only cast member to be returning to the film as far as we know. The star’s portrayal of the suave southern detective is iconic – the actor departs from his usual bond-like demeanour and seems to really have fun with the role. Benoit Blanc, in the last film, was revealed as dating Hugh Grant – a cameo that the fanbase deeply appreciated.

Daniel Craig managed to nail the Covid-19 slump felt by many, as his character was shown sat in a bathtub, surrounded by books, playing Among Us with Angela Lansbury and other noted true crime actors. The scene definitely made me laugh, I know I’m excited for his character to develop further in this series.

Behind the camera however, Rian Johnson will be returning to write the script for the third instalment. On his social media he revealed that the release date would be sometime in 2025 and Wake up Dead Man will go into production soon, it seems. Rian posted on his X account: “We’re about to go into production on it and I AM SLIGHTLY EXCITED”.

Some really big names are joining the line up for the new movie

Josh O’Connor, of Challengers, is confirmed to be starring. The 34-year-old actor is also known for his prominent role in two seasons of Netflix’s flagship series, The Crown, in which he played a young Prince Charles. Josh has acquired a rabid fan base as he appeared in various British TV shows, including London Irish. He was also in Emma, and appeared as a slightly eccentric vicar – maybe he will be cast as some eccentric millionaire, as that seems to be a central theme to Rian Johnson’s work.

Cailee Spaeny is another star set to appear – she has just come off the back of the biopic Priscilla.The 25-year-old was born in Tennessee, and raised in Missouri. She has also starred in Pacific Rim Uprising, and The First Lady.

Everyone’s favourite hot priest will also be making an appearance, according to Variety, as Andrew Scott will be starring in the new film. Known for his role in Fleabag, many are interested to see what the actor will bring to the table. Given his background as a villain in the BBC’s production of Sherlock, it could be that Andrew will be the new antagonist of this instalment of Knives Out.

The first two Knives Out movies are available to watch on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook. 

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Featured image via Netflix and BBC.