Writer/director Rian Johnson announced the title of his third Knives Out movie last week, and since then, it's been a steady flow of big-name announcements in regards to who will be starring in his highly anticipated follow-up.
Daniel Craig, of course, will be returning as detective Benoit Blanc in the sequel, officially titled Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. In case you don't remember, Wake Up Dead Man's two predecessors — Knives Out (2019) and Glass Onion (2022) — followed Blanc as he solved two separate mysteries. The first film starred A-listers Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, and Jamie Lee Curtis, while Glass Onion brought in the likes of Janelle Monáe, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, and Leslie Odom Jr.
Wake Up Dead Man is shaping up to be similarly star-studded, with the latest casting announcement pulling in another alum of the MCU: Jeremy Renner. He joins other previously announced stars like Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, and more.
You can see a breakdown of all the currently assembled names below. It's pretty much all the information we currently have about Wake Up Dead Man, other than the fact that it'll be coming to Netflix (part of the streaming platform's two-sequel deal that's reportedly worth a whopping $469 million) sometime in 2025.
Jeremy Renner
Deadline broke the news that Jeremy Renner had been added to the cast of Wake Up Dead Man on May 30, a pretty significant reveal considering it's the actor's first feature film since his near-fatal snowplow accident in early 2023. Renner, of course, is known for playing Clint Barton/Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as films like Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, and The Bourne Legacy. He's scored Oscar nominations for his roles in The Hurt Locker and The Town.
Glenn Close
Glenn Close is one of the bigger names announced for Wake Up Dead Man, first reported by THR. Close, of course, needs little introduction. She's racked up three Primetime Emmy nominations, eight Oscar nominations, three Grammy Awards, three Tony Awards, and three Golden Globes over the course of her storied career. Some of her most famous film roles include Fatal Attraction, 101 Dalmatians, and Dangerous Liaisons.
Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington is also joining the fray, as first reported by Deadline. Washington rose to widespread fame for playing Olivia Pope in ABC's hit drama Scandal, which earned her two Emmy nominations. On the film front, she's also appeared in the 2005 and 2007 Fantastic Four movies, Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, and 2004 biopic Ray, and has Netflix war drama Six Triple Eight coming up.
Andrew Scott
Variety revealed that Andrew Scott has joined the sprawling cast, adding to his busy schedule as of late. Scott recently starred in the Netflix limited series Ripley, which IGN gave a 9/10, and is also well known for his role — affectionately referred to as "Hot Priest" by fans — in Season 2 of Fleabag. Before that, Scott rose to prominence thanks to his role as Moriarty in the BBC's Sherlock.
Josh O’Connor
Josh O'Connor was one of the first stars revealed for Wake Up Dead Man, first reported by What's On Netflix and later confirmed by the Hollywood trades. O'Connor just recently starred alongside Zendaya and Mike Faist in Luca Guadagnino's Challengers, which IGN gave a 9/10, and is also known for his Emmy-winning portrayal of Princes Charles in Netflix's The Crown.
Cailee Spaeny
The news of Cailee Spaeny joining the sequel was included in the same report that confirmed O'Connor, also making her one of the first casting reveals for Wake Up Dead Man. Spaeny's been on the up-and-up as of late, with recent roles in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla and the hit A24 drama Civil War. Coming up, she'll be starring in the next installment in the Alien franchise, Alien: Romulus.
And that's about all we know about the upcoming Wake Up Dead Man, although we'll continue updating this article with casting reveals. In the meantime, check out our 9/10 review of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, where we said it "improves upon virtually every aspect of its predecessor and delivers a big, bold, funny, angry, timely, and timeless whodunit."
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
