It’s the moment every Knives Out fan has been waiting for. After an auspiciously long wait, Empire Magazine has finally revealed the identities of the sequel’s many characters. The star-studded project has been the subject of much speculation since the full cast began to become public over the last couple years. Now, audiences will be able to put fictional names to all the very real faces occupying Rian Johnson‘s next Benoit Blanc mystery. Of course, Daniel Craig will be back as the now-iconic Southern detective who has become the centerpiece of the Knives Out franchise. As for the rest, that’s where things get a little more unfamiliar.
Titled Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, the second Blanc adventure concerns a group of old acquaintances who are summoned to Greece by a rich mutual friend for a murder-mystery game that becomes a little too real. Starring in the film will be Kathryn Hahn, who is set to portray Governor Claire Debella, a Connecticut politician who is now running for the Senate. According to director Johnson, she “pisses everyone off, and is trying to thread the needle in many different ways, in terms of her public persona and what she’s willing to compromise in order to stay in office“. Next is Kate Hudson as Birdie Jay, a fashionista, and Iron Fist star Jessica Henwick as Peg, her assistant. Not much else was said about this duo, but it’s safe to assume the talent involved in their dynamic will be a joy to watch.
Edward Norton is set to play Miles Bron, a billionaire tech disruptor. Johnson spoke about Bron candidly, saying “the species that [Miles] is derived from will be instantly recognizable to a lot of people in our era of tech billionaires“. Leslie Odom Jr. will bring to life Lionel Toussaint, a scientist who works for Bron. As for Dave Bautista, he’ll play against type as a popular YouTuber named Duke Cody, while Madelyn Cline portrays Whiskey, his girlfriend and assistant. Finally, Janelle Monáe will be seen as Cassandra ‘Andi’ Brand, a tech entrepreneur.
Ethan Hawke is confirmed to have a role in the film, though his character is the only one that remains unknown to viewers. It’s possible that Hawke is the rich mutual friend who brings everyone else together in the first place, or the one that bites it early in the plot, but that remains to be seen. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will stream exclusively on Netflix starting December 23rd.
Source: Empire
