Knives Out 2has added yet another rising star to its growing ensemble.Leslie Odom Jr.(One Night In Miami) has joined Daniel Craig in the upcoming sequel, which is happening at Netflix. While Lionsgate produced the original whodunnit, director Rian Johnson decided to set up a huge deal with the streaming service for not just one, but two sequels. The first of those sequels is set to begin production soon and, as such, casting has been underway recently.
According to multiple reports, Leslie Odom Jr. will indeed star inKnives Out 2. There is no word on who he, or any of the new cast members for that matter, are playing yet. Daniel Craig will reprise his role as detective Benoit Blanc. So far, Craig is the only cast member from the firstKnives Outthat has been confirmed to return. This movie will tell a completely different story, though specific plot details currently remain under wraps. But with a different story at hand, it’s unlikely the Thrombeys will return this time around.
Other new cast members joining the budding franchiseinclude Dave Bautista(Guardians of the Galaxy, Blade Runner 2049), Edward Norton (Fight Club, Birdman), Janelle Monae (Hidden Figures, Harriet)and Kathryn Hahn(WandaVision, Bad Moms). Leslie Odom Jr., meanwhile, is very much on the rise. The actor received an Oscar nomination for his work in Regina King’sOne Night In Miami, which was also nominated for Best Picture. Odom Jr. portrayed musica icon Sam Cooke in the movie. Some of his other credits includeHamiltonandMurder on the Orient Express. The actor has already wrapped work onThe Sopranosprequel movieThe Many Saints of Newark, which is slated to hit theaters later this year.
Rian Johnson, known for his work on movies such asStar Wars: The Last JediandLooper, is writing and directing the upcoming sequel. Ram Bergman, his longtime filmmaking partner, is on board to produce. Filming is expected to take place this summer in Greece. Netflix, meanwhile, is paying more than $400 million in total for both this movie and the eventualKnives Out 3. It’s expected that both Johnson and Daniel Craig will each clear $100 million for their troubles.
Knives Outbecame a larger than expected hit in 2019. Against a budget of just $40 million, it earned an impressive $311 million worldwide at the box office while riding a wave of critical praise. Rian Johnson was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars for his work. Because Johnson retained the rights to the work, he was able to work out a rich deal for the sequels.
In the end,Netflixwon the bidding war, though other suitors were said to be in the mix. They simply couldn’t compete with Netflix’s incredibly deep pockets.Knives Out 2does not yet have a release date set, though it is likely to arrive sometime in 2022. We’ll be sure to keep you posted as any further details on the project are made available. This news comes to us viaThe Hollywood Reporter.
