Rian Johnson desperately wants Meryl Streep to join the Knives Out Universe
When it comes to making feature films a star-studded affair, few do it better than Rian Johnson for his Knives Out franchise. The great Daniel Craig already leads the series as the Southern-fried detective Benoit Blanc. Still, when you add actors like Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Christopher Plummer, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Edward Norton, and Glenn Close to the mix, each film becomes an event in and of itself. Recently, while speaking with IndieWire, Johnson revealed his “white whale” for the Knives Out franchise, and it’s none other than Meryl Streep.
Johnson on wanting Meryl Streep for Knives Out
“There are so many great actors I’d like to work with,” Johnson told IndieWire, “But, yes, if you’re reading this, Meryl Streep, I feel like you’d slot into a murder mystery very well.”
Meryl Streep is no stranger to murder mysteries, having recently appeared in Hulu‘s Only Murders in the Building alongside Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. She’s also one of the greatest actors of all time, with seemingly no limit to how she can bring a screen to life. I agree with Johnson regarding how she’d fit nicely into his whodunit mold, especially if the cast is as stacked as it always is. A great player working alongside other greats can only yield stellar results with the proper script.
Johnson on the thrill of working alongside different actors
“I love working with actors so much,” Johnson said. “There are so many actors I haven’t worked with I want to work with. And that’s one of the real treats of making these movies is you get to experience new actors and these big casts. At the same time, I’d be lying if I didn’t say: one of the great things about doing these movies is I get to know these actors so, when I’m writing original stuff now, that are not these movies, of course I have everyone in mind for it.”
What is the next Knives Out mystery about
Here’s the official synopsis for the next chaptet of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out series, Wake Up Dead Man:
Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) returns for his most dangerous case yet in the third and darkest chapter of Rian Johnson’s murder mystery opus. When young priest Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) is sent to assist charismatic firebrand Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), it’s clear that all is not well in the pews. Wicks’s modest-but-devoted flock includes devout church lady Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), circumspect groundskeeper Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church), tightly-wound lawyer Vera Draven, Esq. (Kerry Washington), aspiring politician Cy Draven (Daryl McCormack), town doctor Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), best-selling author Lee Ross (Andrew Scott), and concert cellist Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny). After a sudden and seemingly impossible murder rocks the town, the lack of an obvious suspect prompts local police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) to join forces with renowned detective Benoit Blanc to unravel a mystery that defies all logic. Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Rian Johnson writes and directs Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, and assembles another all-star, award-winning cast.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery debuts on Netflix on December 12.
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