How ensemble cast of 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery' came to be

Rian Johnson is revealing how he organized an ensemble cast for all three of his Knives Out, films.

This year, Rian has released the third installment in the franchise, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. The film brought back Daniel Craig return as Detective Benoit Blanc in a murder mystery in the church.

The ensemble cast featured Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, and Cailee Spaeny.

When asked how the casting process goes, Rian told Entertainment Weekly, "I try not to write with actors in mind, just because I've learned that it's a pathway to heartbreak if you don't get them because of scheduling or whatever."

"And I feel like if I'm writing with an actor in my head, it generally means that I'm just kind of copying another character I've seen that actor play. So I try to write as much as I can with abstract, great characters, or the characters in my head will be based on people I've known in life. If they are actors, it's better for them to be, you know, like Robert Mitchum or something like that," he explained.

He continued, "And then when I cast, I work with my casting directors, Mary Vernieu and Bret Howe, who I've been working with for years. I'll have a general conversation with them about who the character is and what the basic traits are, and then they'll just check who's available, and they'll throw me lists and ideas, and we'll say, "What about this? What about that?" And then I'll get excited about someone."

"Ultimately, the other thing that I've learned is: as opposed to trying to match the type of the character to the type that you associate with an actor, just try to always get the best actor for the part. And more interesting, actually, if it's a character that you can't necessarily imagine that actor playing. That's served me well so far," he added.

Rian’s fan favorite franchise began with 2019's Knives Out, and continued with its 2022 sequel Glass Onion, and finally this year's Wake Up Dead Man.