Murder Mystery Director Hopes to Bring Meryl Streep on Board for Next Film in the Series

Meryl Streep; Daniel Craig.
Credit:

Amy Sussman/WireImage; John Wilson/Netflix

NEED TO KNOW

• Rian Johnson will soon release the Daniel Craig-led Wake Up Dead Man, the third film in the Knives Out murder mystery series.
• When asked for an actor he’d like to work with in a future installment, Johnson mentioned Meryl Streep.
• “I feel like you’d slot into a murder mystery very well,” Johnson remarked, addressing the Oscar winner.

Rian Johnson has hinted at the possibility of Meryl Streep joining the Knives Out cinematic universe as he gears up for the release of Wake Up Dead Man.

“There are so many actors I haven’t worked with,” Johnson told IndieWire regarding his approach to casting in the series. “That’s one of the real treats of making these movies; you get to experience new actors and these big casts.”

When discussing his dream cast for a future film opposite Daniel Craig’s detective Benoit Blanc, Johnson expressed enthusiasm for Streep’s involvement: “If you’re reading this, Meryl Streep, I feel like you’d slot into a murder mystery very well.”

Given Streep’s recent debut on Saturday Night Live, Johnson’s comments add an intriguing layer to the speculation. “If Lorne [Michaels] can do it, then, goddamn, so can we,” he joked.

Wake Up Dead Man.

Courtesy of Netflix

Wake Up Dead Man is set to be released in select theaters on November 26 and will debut on Netflix on December 12. The film features Craig reprising his role as the astute detective, alongside a fresh cast, following the 2019 original and 2022’s Glass Onion. The lineup includes Josh O’Connor as a conflicted priest, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, and Andrew Scott.

Johnson noted a significant tonal shift between Glass Onion and Wake Up Dead Man, stating, “anger is one of the things you kind of have to have to be motivated,” and that this film will be centered on themes he deeply cares about.

Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig.

Karwai Tang/WireImage

This film concludes Johnson’s two-picture deal with Netflix. While both he and Craig expressed interest in continuing the series, a fourth film has not yet been confirmed.

“For me, personally, these movies are working with Daniel,” Johnson emphasized. “It’s a partnership. And the instant either one of us feels even slightly like not doing it, we’ll stop doing it.”

Although no collaboration with Johnson is confirmed for Streep at this time, she continues to stay busy with projects like Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building and is slated to appear in The Devil Wears Prada 2, set for release on May 1, 2026.