6 Actors That Need To Appear In Knives Out 3
Last week came the official Netflix announcement that the third film in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out franchise would be Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, that Johnson was back writing and directing, that Daniel Craig was returning as detective Benoit Blanc, and that the film would be released next year. I know as much as you do about the threequel–which is next to nothing–but if it follows suit with its predecessors it will feature an incredible cast of A-listers and up-and-comers.
Without knowing anything about the plot, here are six names that would help make sure I streamed Wake Up Dead Man as soon as it dropped on Netflix.
Alan Tudyk
Recency bias no doubt plays a role in my pick of Alan Tudyk in Wake Up Dead Man. While I was already a fan of Tudyk from his work in the Firefly universe, Rogue One, and Doom Patrol–I just recently started getting to know the darkly hilarious Harry Vanderspeigle of the comedy Resident Alien.
Seeing how perfectly Tudyk embodies an extraterrestrial awkwardly disguised as a human, I would now happily watch him in anything, any time. He would be brilliant in a whodunnit.
Jean Smart
As critical as I am of all things touched by David Zaslav and Warner Brothers, I have to admit that it’s HBO Max that made me realize I had somehow been ignoring Jean Smart for years and that it needed to stop. Within a month of one another, she showed up in what remain two of the best series to stream on the platform–her own dramedy Hacks and as the main character’s mother in the mystery drama Mare of Easttown.
I religiously follow her work now, and the woman who almost had her own Frasier spinoff would do nothing but elevate Wake Up Dead Man.
Stephen Graham
For a long time, my only familiarity with Stephen Graham was with his portrayal of Jason Statham’s big-mouthed sidekick Tommy in Snatch. It wasn’t until I watched his fierce turn as Al Capone in Boardwalk Empire that I realized what an incredible and singular talent he is. He would be perfect for Wake Up Dead Man, and with the range he’s shown I’m convinced he could play just about anyone.
Anya Taylor-Joy
Again, I happily admit to the recency bias, because having just seen Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, I’m still floored by both her performance and that of Chris Hemsworth. But recency bias or not, can you tell me I’m wrong for seeing her as a natural addition to Wake Up Dead Man?
She can play anything. She can play a folklore witch, a snooty Jane Austen heroine, a chessmaster, or a post-apocalyptic warrior.
Giancarlo Esposito
No recency bias here, just bias toward pure brilliance. Giancarlo Esposito is another actor who could take just about any role and make it his own, so that afterward you could never imagine the part played by anyone else.
Imagine if he played the actual murderer in Wake Up Dead Man, and that glorious moment when we’d get to see his face transform from Los Pollos Hermanos manager Gus to drug lord Gus?
Michelle Yeoh
I mean, why not? When was the last time you heard Michelle Yeoh was going to be in something and you thought, “oh she would be terrible in that?” Try never, because she’s awesome.
Considering the no-nonsense characters she tends to play I think Johnson could get some wonderful chemistry between her and Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc in Wake Up Dead Man. Yeoh excels at characters who give you gorgeous smiles that somehow manage to be welcoming while at the same time transmitting, “I would kill you if no one was around.”
