Knives Out 3: Everything we know about Wake Up Dead Man

Eleni Thomas
Daniel Craig in Glass Onion, the Netflix sequel to Knives Out

Fans 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 the 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 will return as Benoit Blanc in Knives Out 3. The film has also added a growing cast of fan-favorite actors to the cast.

  • Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc
  • Andrew Scott
  • Glenn Close
  • Josh Brolin
  • Mila Kunis
  • Jeremy Renner
  • Kerry Washington
  • Thomas Haden Church
  • Cailee Spaeny
  • Josh O’Connor
  • Daryl McCormack
Daniel Craig and the cast of Knives Out sequel Glass Onion

Some huge names are joining the film, though we don’t yet know what roles they will play. The latest, according to The Wrap, is Horizon: An American Saga star Thomas Haden Church.

He joins a massive cast that includes Josh Brolin, Daryl McCormack, Jeremy Renner, Mila Kunis, Glenn Close and Kerry Washington.

Andrew Scott is also joining the cast. 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 were announced on May 27, 2024.

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.

We put together a guide to all the Knives Out 3 casting rumors, too.

What could Knives Out 3 be about?

There’s no official plot synopsis for Knives Out 3 yet. Guessing from the title, though, it’ll be about the murder of a man.

Daniel Craig in Knives Out

Wake 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. 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.