Netflix has reportedly added four more big-name actors to the cast of Knives Out 3 – and fans have reacted with outrage to one of those hires.
Following last Friday’s (May 24) announcement of Knives Out 3‘s official title and 2025 release window, numerous reports have emerged over the past few days about who’s being lined up to join the film’s ensemble cast. In Tuesday (May 28), we reported that Challengers‘ Josh O’Connor and Priscilla‘s Cailee Spaeny were in talks to join the next Knives Out film. One day later, the apparent hiring of Andrew Scott meant that Knives Out 3 would see a mini James Bond reunion between the Spectre star and former 007 actor Daniel Craig, who’s set to reprise his role as Benoit Blanc from the first two Knives Out flicks.
Since then, other reported cast additions have emerged. On Wednesday (May 29), Deadline suggested that Kerry Washington had signed on for the Rian Johnson-directed movie. Hours later, the report of Washington’s casting was followed by the news that Glenn Close would feature (per The Hollywood Reporter (THR)), too.
The Wake Up, Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery hires haven’t stopped there, either. Yesterday (May 30), Deadline reported that Marvel star Jeremy Renner had been tapped for the project – the first film he’ll appear in since his life-threatening snow-plow incident in January 2023. No sooner had Renner’s casting been made public, that Deadline also indicated that Mila Kunis was being brought on board.
Netflix hasn’t commented on any castings outside of Craig’s involvement. However, Deadline and THR are known for accurately reporting on movie and TV show hires before official announcements are made, so we can be confident that the aforementioned septuplet will join Craig on the cast roster.
A controversial casting
To casual observers, it seems that Johnson, who has also written Knives Out 3‘s screenplay, has assembled another highly impressive cast for one of 2025’s new Netflix movies. However, the addition of Kunis to Wake Up, Dead Man‘s cast has drawn fierce criticism – and that’s being kind – from plenty of movie fans.
Why has Kunis’ hiring proven to be so divisive? This will be her first major role since she became embroiled in controversy in September 2023. At the time, Kunis supported fellow actor Danny Masterson, who was accused – and subsequently convicted of – committing serious sexual assaults. Kunis and her husband Ashton Kutcher, who worked with Masterson on That 70s Show, wrote to the trial judge expressing support for their fellow star and testifying to his good character (per THR).
Unsurprisingly, Kunis and Kutcher’s intervention attracted immediate and widespread criticism, particularly in light of Masterson’s conviction. It didn’t take long for the duo to formally apologize (per The Associated Press) – they claimed that the letters were only intended for the judge, not the public – for their actions, but the damage had already been done. To make matters worse for the pair, some even suggested that their apology was “performative” and “insincere”.
Kunis has made a couple of public appearances in the months since then, but hasn’t starred in a movie or TV project following Masterson’s conviction. And, in light of her reported hiring here, moviegoers have taken to social media apps and websites, including X/Twitter and Reddit, to express their anger of her apparent involvement. Just look at these three threads on various subreddits, which are filled with exasperated and furious comments about Kunis’ rumored hiring, for proof of that. There are some fans who have positively reacted to Kunis’ casting but, by and large, they’re in the minority and/or aren’t fully aware of her involvement in supporting Masterson late last year.
Ironically, her last two roles also came in Netflix productions – 2022’s Luckiest Girl Alive and season 1 of That 90s Show, which aired in January 2023. Given the furious reactions to Kunis’ reported involvement with Knives Out 3, it’ll be interesting to see if she remains part of the cast in the days to come.
If you, or someone you know, have been affected by the contents of this article, US readers can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline on 1-800-656-4673, or visit The National Sexual Violence Resource Center for additional resources. UK readers can phone 0808 500 2222 or visit https://247sexualabusesupport.org.uk for online support.
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tom.power@futurenet.com (Tom Power)
