Knives Out 3 Sets First Cast Members For Wake Up Dead Man

The next Benoit Blanc movie, titled Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, finds its first cast members. Following the breakout hit Knives Out in 2019 and its Netflix-released sequel in 2022, writer-director Rian Johnson will return for a third movie revolving around Daniel Craig’s eccentric detective. Plot details are unknown at this time, but the full Wake Up Dead Man title was revealed recently, along with confirmation that the movie will be released on Netflix in 2025. Now, more information about Knives Out 3 has come to light.

First reported by What’s On Netflix and later confirmed by Deadline, Knives Out 3 has found its first new cast members. Josh O’Connor (Challengers) and Cailee Spaeny (Civil War) have been tapped to lead the fresh ensemble; their characters are currently being kept under wraps. Production is slated to begin in the coming weeks, with more cast members likely to be announced within that time.

Where You Know Josh O’Connor & Cailee Spaeny

Both O’Connor & Spaeny Are On The Rise

The first two Knives Out movies featured large ensembles comprised of both major names and up-and-coming actors, and it so far looks like Wake Up Dead Man will follow this trend. Both O’Connor and Spaeny have a number of notable credits to their names, with more on the way, but their popularity has not yet reached the heights of some previous Knives Out cast members, such as Jamie Lee Curtis, Edward Norton, and Chris Evans. However, this new movie will further boost their careers.

O’Connor broke out by playing a younger Prince Charles in seasons 3 and 4 of Netflix’s The Crown and even won an Emmy for his performance. Most recently, he’s earned acclaim and plenty of buzz after starring as one-third of the main trio in Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers, the romantic sports drama that took the internet by storm in late April. Beyond those two titles, O’Connor has appeared in Emma, God’s Own Country, and Lee.

Spaeny, meanwhile, has seen her star rise significantly in a short period of time. After appearing in various titles such as Bad Times at the El Royale, On the Basis of Sex, and Mare of Easttown, the actor took on a starring role as the titular character in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, a part that led to some awards buzz for Spaeny. She then went on to star in A24’s divisive Civil War and will next be seen in Alien: Romulus.

Both O’Connor and Spaeny have proven they are versatile performers, and they will no doubt fit in perfectly with the new Knives Out 3 cast. It is difficult to speculate about who they might be playing. However, the previous Benoit Blanc movies could provide some clues about the relationship between their characters. Both films revolved around characters who were already connected to each other, whether by being family or longtime friends. Should Johnson keep that theme going, Wake Up Dead Man could find O’Connor and Spaeny playing siblings, or perhaps a romantic couple.

Source: What’s On Netflix, Deadline