Cast of Wake Up Dead Man: Knives Out 3 Stars & Roles

Rian Johnson’s faith-inflected third Knives Out mystery reunites Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc with an eclectic ensemble that includes two Irish actors breaking into major Hollywood roles. Wake Up Dead Man drops on Netflix on December 12, 2025, setting the Southern detective loose in a Catholic church backdrop with gothic undertones.

Lead Actor: Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc ·
Director: Rian Johnson ·
Release Year: 2025 ·
Platform: Netflix ·
Key New Cast: Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin

The full cast list below compiles confirmed roles from IMDb, Wikipedia, and Netflix’s official cast announcements.

Who are the Irish actors in Wake Up Dead Man?

Two Irish actors landed major roles in this Hollywood mystery: Andrew Scott (known for Sherlock and Fleabag) and Daryl McCormack (BAFTA-nominated for Good Luck to You, Leo Grande in 2022). Entertainment.ie noted that “the green wave hitting Hollywood shows no signs of letting up, as another up-and-coming Irish actor has landed a part in a huge film.”

Andrew Scott’s role

Andrew Scott portrays Lee Ross, the town’s best-selling author. Harper’s Bazaar confirms his casting alongside the ensemble. Scott recently starred in 2023’s All of Us Strangers and 2024’s Ripley, giving him significant Hollywood momentum heading into this project.

Daryl McCormack’s background

Daryl McCormack, an Irish actor from Dublin, plays Cy Draven, Vera’s adoptive son who transitioned from failed politician to influencer. Entertainment.ie highlights him alongside Scott as representing Ireland’s growing presence in major productions. His BAFTA nomination for Good Luck to You, Leo Grande established him as a rising talent before landing this Knives Out role.

Where did they film Wake Up Dead Man?

While precise filming locations remain less documented than the cast announcements, the film is set against a Catholic church backdrop with what cast members described as a gothic turn at TIFF 2025. The setting marks a departure from the family estate of Knives Out and the tech billionaire island of Glass Onion. Andrew Scott shared that the Catholic church backdrop aligns perfectly with the mystery genre, according to Radio Times.

Filming locations confirmed

The production appears to have utilized primarily US and UK-based locations given the mix of American, British, and Irish talent. Entertainment.ie reports no regional variations in cast or production for this global Netflix release. The church setting introduces a gothic atmosphere distinct from the earlier films’ settings.

The implication is that Rian Johnson chose the church setting partly for its genre resonance—the architecture and symbolism of a Catholic parish give the mystery built-in visual tension that family estates and tech islands cannot match.

Full Cast of Wake Up Dead Man

Nine confirmed leads anchor the ensemble, with returning star Daniel Craig joined by fresh faces from film and television. The cast draws from across the industry—award winners, character actors, and rising talents—creating the eclectic suspect pool Rian Johnson’s mysteries are known for.

Supporting players include Thomas Haden Church as Samson Holt (a circumspect groundskeeper and Martha’s lover), Jeffrey Wright as Langstrom, Annie Hamilton as Grace Wicks, Bridget Everett as Louise, and Noah Segan as Nikolai. ScreenRant notes the new ensemble differs markedly from prior films’ tech billionaire and family settings.

Is Wake Up Dead Man a good movie?

Early reception points toward the film delivering the signature Rian Johnson mystery experience with fresh ingredients. The Rotten Tomatoes consensus highlights a “soulful fixation on faith” and strong performance attention on Josh O’Connor. The TIFF 2025 appearances where cast discussed the gothic turn generated positive industry chatter, with the Catholic church backdrop providing a distinctive atmosphere for the whodunit.

Early reviews and ratings

While full aggregate scores weren’t available at time of publication, individual early reviews from outlets like Simon Dillon Cinema praised the faith-themed narrative and Josh O’Connor’s scene-stealing performance. The Rotten Tomatoes feedback specifically mentioned O’Connor as a standout, suggesting the priest character adds emotional depth alongside the mystery mechanics.

What this means is that the franchise’s quality bar remains high, and Josh O’Connor’s priest performance suggests the ensemble chemistry that drove the first two films is intact.

Is Wake Up Dead Man the last movie?

Wake Up Dead Man marks the third film in the Knives Out franchise, but it does not appear to be the last. Wikipedia confirms this is the third installment following 2019’s Knives Out and 2022’s Glass Onion. Rian Johnson has indicated interest in continuing the series, though no official announcements about a fourth film exist at this time.

Knives Out series status

The franchise has proven commercially successful—Wikipedia reports Daniel Craig was paid $100 million for his involvement in the two sequels. Netflix’s acquisition of the franchise after the Disney-era exit suggests continued support for additional entries. The ending of Wake Up Dead Man may or may not provide closure, leaving room for potential future Benoit Blanc investigations. For those interested in the actors involved, you can find the Harry Potter TV series cast at Harry Potter TV series cast.

“The green wave hitting Hollywood shows no signs of letting up, as another up-and-coming Irish actor has landed a part in a huge film.”

— Entertainment.ie (Film publication, Irish market)

“Andrew Scott shared insights on how the film’s Catholic church backdrop aligns perfectly with the mystery genre.”

— Andrew Scott, via Radio Times (Film and TV publication, UK market)

For mystery fans and franchise followers, the December 12 Netflix release offers a familiar detective in an unfamiliar setting. The Irish actors bring international credibility while the returning American ensemble maintains the Hollywood star power the series has come to expect. Whether this is the beginning of more entries or a satisfying conclusion, the cast suggests the whodunit mechanics will remain sharp.

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