Knives Out 3 cast adds three breakout stars (but not those rumored A-listers)

Just a few days after Netflix and director Rian Johnson revealed the official title of Knives Out 3 as Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the cast has already started to take shape. Daniel Craig again returns as detective Benoit Blanc, and this time around, he will be joined by a trio of breakout stars from critically acclaimed movies.

On May 27, Deadline confirmed initial reports that Challengers star Josh O'Connor and Priscilla star Cailee Spaeny were cast in two key roles in Wake Up Dead Man. As of the announcement of their castings, there are no additional details about their characters, including names, professions, motives, what have you. But they will each definitely be a draw!

O'Connor most recently appeared in the hit film Challengers, which also stars Zendaya and Mike Faist. The romantic sports drama from director Luca Guadagnino has earned nearly $90 million worldwide and critical acclaim to boot. Also, O'Connor isn't a stranger to Netflix, having played Prince Charles in The Crown for seasons 3 and 4.

Spaeny also recently enjoyed a breakout moment with the release of the 2023 film Priscilla, in which she plays Priscilla Presley and earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance. She has also appeared in such hit titles as Bad Times at the El Royale, The Craft: Legacy, Civil War, and Mare of Easttown. Spaeny leads the upcoming Alien sequel, Alien: Romulus.

On May 28, Netflix kept the Knives Out casting news rolling with word of Andrew Scott joining the cast, too. Variety confirmed Scott's casting, though again, there were no character details available either. Scott most recently appeared in the Netflix miniseries Ripley and next stars in the streamer's movie Back in Action. He also earned acclaim for his role in the 2023 film All of Us Strangers.

Lindsay Lohan and Tom Hardy? Not so fast...

On top of O'Connor and Spaeny's official castings in Wake Up Dead Man, rumors began swirling that two A-list actors could be the next additions to the cast. A previous report from What's on Netflix suggested that Lindsay Lohan and Tom Hardy were also in talks to join the cast, but a correction in the comments of the outlet's initial article retracts that statement.

Because the rumors took off on social media like wildfire, the official Knives Out account commented on the casting uproar. Those looking forward to the movie were especially excited about the prospect of Lohan landing a role in the movie as the "Lohanaissance" continues with her hit romantic comedy movies on Netflix and the forthcoming Freaky Friday 2.

"Buttress some feelings... bury some others..." seems like the account's way of confirming O'Connor and Spaeny while debunking Lohan and Hardy.

We'll have to wait and see who else will officially join Craig, O'Connor, and Spaeny in the Wake Up Dead Man cast when Netflix announces more cast members. If anything, maybe these rumors and the various fan casting threads online have inspired Johnson and the casting department. Now we kind of need Lindsay, right? We can still dream! But the cast is already off to an amazing start, and it's sure to continue to add up to an iconic roster.

This post was updated to include Andrew Scott's casting.

Stay tuned for more Knives Out 3 news and updates from Netflix Life!