Knives Out 3: Everything we know about Wake Up Dead Man
NetflixFans are craving the style and panache of detective hero Benoit Blanc, so here’s everything we know about Knives Out 3: Wake Up Dead Man, including its potential cast, and plot ideas.
Move over Poirot, because despite Kenneth Branagh’s best attempts to revive the mustachioed sleuth, another modern-day detective extraordinaire holds the crown: Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc.
First debuting in 2019’s Knives Out, Craig reunited with Rian Johnson for a sequel on Netflix. Glass Onion, taking the character away from the Thrombeys to a Greek island for a new story, with an all-star Knives Out 2 cast to boot.
Wake Up Dead Man is the new movie continuing the series, and here’s what we know about it so far, including two new cast members!
Is there a Knives Out 3 release date?
Knives Out 3 doesn’t have a release date. It likely won’t be released until 2025 at the earliest.
It’s in development and has a title, though. On May 24, 2024, Johnson shared the news on X: “The next Benoit Blanc mystery, the follow-up to Knives Out and Glass Onion, is called Wake Up Dead Man.”
Wake Up Dead Man cast
- Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc
- Andrew Scott
- Glenn Close
- Mila Kunis
- Jeremy Renner
- Kerry Washington
- Cailee Spaeny
- Josh O’Connor
- Daryl McCormack
Daniel Craig will return as Benoit Blanc in Knives Out 3. The film is also adding a growing cast of fan-favorite actors to its ensemble.
NetflixSome huge names are joining the film, though we don’t yet know what roles they will play. The latest, according to Variety, is Daryl McCormack, who was last seen in Good Luck to You, Leo Grande. He joins Hawkeye star Jeremy Renner and Bad Moms star Mila Kunis, as revealed by Deadline.
Glenn Close will also be joining the film, according to THR, as will Kerry Washington, best known for her role in the drama series Scandal, Deadline confirms.
Andrew Scott is also joining the cast, as announced by Variety. Scott’s role is unknown, but this will mark his reunion with Craig after the two featured in the 2015 James Bond outing Spectre.
Challengers star Josh O’Connor and Civil War star Cailee Spaeny have also been added to the fold. Deadline broke the news on May 27, 2024, though little is known about the characters they will play.
According to a report from What’s On Netflix, we might also see Lindsay Lohan and Tom Hardy involved, too. That’s all at a discussion stage at the moment, so we’ll have to see.
One thing’s for sure, Craig himself will always be involved. In an interview with Variety, the James Bond actor said, “If he keeps writing them, I’ll keep doing them. That’s what makes it easy, he’s such a wonderful writer that it’s there on the page for me to do.”
As each installment features a new mystery, it’ll surely be a fresh ensemble cast — probably a lot of A-listers. We’re excited to see who joins from here on out, so we decided to put together a guide to all the Knives Out 3 casting rumors and our own wishlist, too.
What could Knives Out 3 be about?
There’s no official plot synopsis for Knives Out 3 yet. Taking a guess from the title, though, it’ll be aboutt the murder of a man.
LionsgateWake Up Dead Man makes us think the victim might not actually be dead. Other theories include a secret twin (although we’ve ‘been there, done that’, after Glass Onion), or perhaps a fake death.
One area the director could explore is Benoit Blanc’s sexuality, after Glass Onion revealed his relationship with a man (played by Hugh Grant).
Speaking to Above the Line, Johnson said, “If you watch the movie, I think it’s made explicit. In terms of exploring it, maybe, but with these movies, they’re not really about the detective’s sexuality.
“It’s baked into the genre [when] the detective is kind of set outside the realm of the human drama that’s going on with the rest of the suspects. I’m sure it’ll come into play because it’s a big part of who he is, obviously. It’s just a fact about his character.”
Is there a trailer?
No, there isn’t a trailer for Knives Out 3. It’s yet to enter production.
For more on Netflix, learn about Monster Season 2, Stranger Things Season 5, or Florida Man Season 2. You may also be interested in Alien: Romulus starring Cailee Spaeny, or Venom 3 starring Tom Hardy.