We really loved Knives Out. Rian Johnson’s salacious murder mystery was a clever, thrilling, and utterly joyous time at the movies, one that didn’t just pay homage to the classic whodunnits of the past, but also subverted them by twisting every one of the genre’s tried and tested tropes in order to make them exciting again. It was genius. And a true testament to Johnson’s skills as both a writer and a director. So, yeah, color us pretty damn excited for Knives Out 2.
What We Know So Far…
Which, admittedly, isn’t very much.
We know that Netflix plonked down a whopping US$450 million for the rights to both Knives Out 2 and Knives Out 3. We know that the movies will reunite director Rian Johnson and star Daniel Craig – who will be returning to play the instantly iconic Benoit Blanc. And we know that Dave Bautista and Edward Norton have since joined the cast.
Plot details are scarce. But if Johnson continues to take inspiration from the likes of Agatha Christie (Benoit Blanc is, after all, a modern-ish take on the ingenious Hercule Poirot), then we can safely assume that these sequels would be anthology movies that take us on more adventures with our intrepid detective.
Stacking the Cast
The best cinematic whodunnits have always conformed to one well worn trope. Filmmakers often fill their cast with so many known performers and A-listers that the audience, so distracted by who the players are, are unable to figure out who committed the crime. It’s a cunning manipulation. One that blurs the lines between fact and fiction by using your familiarity with the actors, their previous roles, and real life personalities, to further complicate their characters.
Just consider the first Knives Out. Could Captain America be so conniving? Surely it’s Michael Shannon that can’t be trusted. Remember how nasty he was in Shape of Water, and Boardwalk Empire, and 99 Homes? Maybe it’s Don Johnson who is the bad guy? Could the soft-hued clad hero of our youth be capable of such cold-blooded murder? Or is all of this a part of Rian Johnson’s fake out? It’s a similar logic that applies to Murder on the Orient Express – both 1974 and 2017, Clue, Gosford Park, Murder by Death, etc.
What’s more, the Hollywood whodunnit has also been a great showcase for some of the greatest actors of the day to lean into some meaty character roles.
Here’s Who We Want In Knives Out 2
Dave Bautista’s in. Edward Norton’s in. Both of whom are incredibly exciting prospects. It’s news that inspired us to dig deep and come up with our own star-studded line-up for Knives Out 2. Maybe even help Rian Johnson out in padding up his cast. He could be reading this. (He’s not!) You never know. (Sigh. We know.)
Jeffrey Wright
Besides being one of the greatest character actors of our generation, Jeffrey Wright also just makes everything he’s in better. We want him as a grizzled, no-nonsense detective – the straight-talking counterpart to Craig’s taffy-mouthed Blanc.
Evan Peters
Most definitely Evan Peters. After his brilliant turn on HBO’s Mare of Easttown, we can’t think of a better person to play audience surrogate and bumbling assistant to Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc.
Henry Golding
This movie’s Chris Evans! Every one of these requires at least one pretty boy. And is there anyone prettier than Henry Golding?
Michaela Coel
After standout roles in Chewing Gum and I May Destroy You (both of which she created and wrote), we figured that a genre piece like Knives Out 2 would be a fantastic showcase for Michaela Coel’s deftness in balancing darkness, and vulnerability, and humour. She also has the best, most expressive face in show business!
Michael Stuhlbarg
Just think about it. Michael Stuhlbarg as the sad sack that no one suspects? The poor, inept, and blundering fool who is secretly a master manipulator? Yeah. You see it right? His turn at the end would be absolutely wondrous.
Shohreh Aghdashloo
We don’t really know what role we want Shohreh Aghdashloo to play in this movie. We just know that she should be in more things. From the House of Sand and Fog to the House of Saddam, from Star Trek to The Expanse, Shohreh Aghdashloo has such stellar range that we would believe her in anything and everything. (Also, that voice. That incredible voice.)
Nicola Coughlan
Every great murder mystery ensemble needs a young ingenue. Kelly Macdonald in Gosford Park. Daisy Ridley in Murder on the Orient Express. Ana de Armas in Knives Out. Continuing in that tradition, we feel that funniest Derry Girl and favourite Featherington, Nicola Coughlan, would be a fantastic addition to the cast of Knives Out 2. Her ability to pull of ditzy, and vulnerable, and cunning, would allow her to play the ultimate red herring in whatever convoluted mystery that Rian Johnson has planned.
Walton Goggins
Every one of these movies needs at least one character that you really want to punch in the face. Think Michael Shannon in the first Knives Out, or Johnny Depp and Willem Dafoe in Murder on the Orient Express, or Peter Lorre in almost every movie he’s ever been in. We think the great Walton Goggins could pull that kind of asshole with tremendous aplomb.
Angela Lansbury
This feels like a no brainer. She’s 95. She’s still performing. She’s still great. Is it gimmicky? Maybe. Is it a bit of stunt casting? Most definitely. But she would be the perfect fit for a meta-whodunnit like Knives Out, and a glorious tribute to a 77-year career that has had an indelible impact on our popular culture.
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