BREAKING: Knives Out 3 Cast Revealed, And It Is A Killer Lineup
Benoit Blanc is back, and he brought a squad. I can confirm the full ensemble for Wake Up Dead Man, the third Knives Out mystery, and it is stacked with heat, range, and pure star power. Daniel Craig anchors the story with that honeyed drawl. Around him, a fresh rogues’ gallery steps into a Gothic, faith-soaked maze that turns the franchise in a bold new direction.
The Big Reveal: Who Is In Knives Out 3
This is the most daring cast Johnson has assembled yet. Daniel Craig returns as Blanc, cool, curious, and sharper than ever. Joining him, Josh O’Connor plays Father Jud, a conflicted priest at the heart of the storm. Josh Brolin arrives as Monsignor Wicks, flinty and magnetic. Glenn Close, fierce and elegant, is Martha Delacroix, a figure with secrets of her own.
Mila Kunis slides in with stealth charm as Geraldine Scott. Jeremy Renner plays Dr. Nat Sharp, a surgeon with sharp elbows. Kerry Washington brings steel and empathy as Vera Draven. Andrew Scott adds an eerie calm as Lee Ross. Cailee Spaeny is electric as Simone Vivane. Daryl McCormack and Thomas Haden Church round out a circle that keeps Blanc guessing.
Official title: Wake Up Dead Man, A Knives Out Mystery. Now streaming on Netflix after a limited theatrical run.
Why This Cast Hits Different
Johnson leaned into Catholic imagery, guilt, and belief. He built a story that invites confession, then questions what truth even looks like. This cast can carry that weight. You feel it in their eyes. The chapel scenes crackle. The rain seems to stick to the skin. The mystery still snaps, but the world feels older, stranger, and more human.
The chemistry is a thrill. Craig glides between players like a conductor. O’Connor and Brolin go head to head in scenes that hum with quiet power. Close threads menace with grace. Washington and Scott each land, then land again. Spaeny gives the film its rawest spark.
Performances That Pop
Josh O’Connor is the shock. His Father Jud is tender, bruised, and unpredictable. He carries the film’s spiritual ache, then flips it during the interrogations. Josh Brolin gives old school authority. He does not overplay, which makes his presence harder to shake. Glenn Close is surgical. One glance from her reorders a scene.
Daniel Craig keeps finding new colors for Blanc. He plays the detective like a man wrestling with his own faith in people. It is his darkest, funniest turn as Blanc yet.
On set, O’Connor joked about the weather and mud. He kept trudging through ankle deep grime while Craig shot in a warmer pocket. That contrast seeps into the film’s look, and into Blanc’s bemused patience.
Watch the confessional booth scenes closely. Every pause counts. Every slip matters.
The Ending, The Themes, The Talk
This ending lands with a thud in the soul. It twists the riddle, then asks what justice means when belief gets in the way. Johnson draws on ritual and sin, on the comfort and danger of certainty. The reveal works as a puzzle, but it also opens a door to doubt. That is why people are watching it twice. It is not just who did it. It is why we needed to believe they did not.
Blanc handles the final movement like a priest of logic. He hears every lie like a hymn that is one note off. When the truth falls, it feels earned, and it hurts.
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Culture Clicks Into Place
You know a franchise is alive when the world plays along. A surprise Sesame Street parody short dropped with a Muppet sleuth named Beignet Blanc. It is a wink that proves the genre still has juice. Parents laughed. Kids got the mystery itch. That crossover matters. It pulls new fans into the orbit, then sends them straight to the real thing.
The film’s Netflix debut opened the gates wide. It is a perfect couch watch, tense and talky, with big movie performances. People pause, argue, rewind, then push play again. That loop is how a mystery becomes a moment.
Johnson and Craig are already talking about ideas for a fourth case. No green light yet, but the door is cracked open.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who is in the cast of Knives Out 3?
A: Daniel Craig leads as Benoit Blanc. The ensemble includes Josh O’Connor, Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church.
Q: What is the official title?
A: Wake Up Dead Man, A Knives Out Mystery.
Q: Where can I watch it?
A: It premiered at TIFF, had a limited theatrical run, and is now streaming on Netflix.
Q: Is this one darker than the first two?
A: Yes. It leans into Catholic settings and metaphysical questions. The tone is moodier and more reflective.
Q: Will there be a fourth Knives Out?
A: Not confirmed. Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig are discussing ideas, but nothing is official.
This cast did not just fill a lineup. They set a fire under a franchise that refuses to repeat itself. Wake Up Dead Man marries a twisty mystery to questions of belief and guilt, then lets world class actors cut loose. Craig is locked in. The bench is deep. The clues are sharp. If this is how Blanc spends his nights, we are ready for the next confession.
