Rian Johnson is gearing up for the release of the third Knives Out film, Wake Up Dead Man. While recently promoting the film, the filmmaker revealed the one actor he would really want to work with in a murder mystery set-up: Meryl Streep.
In his interview with IndieWire, Johnson remarked:
There are so many great actors I’d like to work with. But, yes, if you’re reading this, Meryl Streep, I feel like you’d slot into a murder mystery very well.
He also joked about the Devil Wears Prada alum’s recent SNL appearance, hilariously remarking: If Lorne can do it, then, goddamn, so can we.
Daniel Craig Wasn’t Going To Be Benoit Blanc
Although it is now impossible to imagine anyone but Daniel Craig donning Benoit Blanc’s eccentric suits and Southern drawl, the role almost went to someone else.
Rian Johnson confirmed to IndieWire that when he was first trying to get the original Knives Out off the ground, Craig was locked into his James Bond commitments, making him completely unavailable.
When we were first trying to get “Knives Out” made, Daniel wasn’t available. He was doing the Bond movies. He was my first choice for it, but he was a hard “not available” because he was on the Bond movies. So, we went to other people for it. We got a bunch of “no”s about Benoit Blanc.
While Johnson refuses to tell about all the other actors who rejected the role, he stressed that in an alternate universe, there was someone else who played the role. Fortunately for all, it all changed when a delay in the Bond schedule unexpectedly freed Craig.
I’ll reiterate that the instant there was some delay with the Bond movie and Daniel had a window, the instant he became available, I leapt. Thank God. Thank God Daniel got it. And the moment Daniel read the script and said yes, it was six weeks until we were shooting. So the whole movie was put together really, really quickly
From Johnson’s perspective, Craig’s involvement is inseparable from Blanc’s identity. He describes their collaboration as a true creative partnership, remarking, ‘He’s indy. He’s Daniel doing it.’ Johnson insists that the franchise would end the moment either of them decides they aren’t fully committed.
Rian Johnson Wants to Keep Making More ‘Knives Out‘ Movies
Back when Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery was going to be released, Rian Johnson wasn’t all too happy about the title containing ‘A Knives Out Mystery,’ since he wanted it to feel like a new novel off the shelf every time (via The Atlantic).
However, now the filmmaker seems to have no qualms about it, as he revealed in his latest interview with IndieWire that, as long as he and Craig continue to find fresh angles, he plans to return to Blanc again and again.
But if Daniel and I feel we are able to figure out a different thing to talk about, or approach, or makes it scary in the right way for us, I would be thrilled to keep making these movies.
Although the film that he is writing now is an original, totally different thing, the filmmaker wants to continue making more Knives Out films if they keep finding more stories to tell. Despite his two-film deal with Netflix, conversations about future entries will come later, but Johnson is already imagining possibilities, from tone shifts to dream casting.
Well, what are your thoughts about Johnson’s recent comments and wanting to direct Meryl Streep in a murder mystery? Let us know in the comments below.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will open in select theaters on Wednesday, November 26, before streaming on Netflix on Friday, December 12.
