Meet the WACKY new characters joining Daniel Craig in hotly-anticipated Knives Out sequel 

Fans of the murder mystery movie Knives Out are avidly waiting for the release of its upcoming sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery – and they won’t have to wait too much longer as we are just weeks away from its premiere.

The first movie, which was written and directed by Rian Johnson and came out in 2019, was filled with twists and turns – leaving viewers on the edge of their seats as they tried to decipher who killed Harlan Thrombey, the patriarch of a wealthy and dysfunctional family.

The popular flick followed a detective named Benoit Blanc as he attempted to piece together the clues figure out who really murdered Harlan, and viewers were left to put their own investigation skills to the test as he soon started to realize that all of Harlan’s kids had motive to kill the patriarch. 

To make matters worse, they all also had holes in their alibis – leaving everyone a suspect and resulting in a shocking twist ending that practically nobody saw coming.

Millions around the world became engulfed in the exciting flick – which starred Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, LaKeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, and Christopher Plummer – which is why when news hit the web that Netflix had paid $469 million for the rights to two standalone sequels, the world was overjoyed.

The first of the two sequels is set to hit theaters on November 23, and will then be added to the streaming site one month later, on December 23, and while Johnson has returned to write and direct the upcoming part two, fans should expect something completely different this time around.

The second movie is going to feature Detective Blanc working an entirely different case unrelated to the Thrombey’s – which means fans can expect a whole new set of thrilling characters. This time, it will follow a group of friends who are vacationing together on a tech billionaire’s private Greek island – but when one of them turns up dead, the getaway is quickly turned upside down. 

According to Entertainment Weekly, it’s going to be just as wild as the first movie, so viewers might want to buckle up. The outlet reported that each character ‘has secrets of their own,’ so trust no one.

‘It offer onion-worthy layers within layers – a panoply of wild, ridiculously starry cameos and a shattering dual twist,’ the outlet added of the second movie.

Glass Onion is set to star Craig, Edward Norton, Leslie Odom Jr., Kathryn Hahn, Kate Hudson, Jessica Henwick, Dave Bautista, Madelyn Cline, and Janelle Monáe – but who exactly are each of them going to play? As everyone prepares for the movie’s release, FEMAIL has broken down everything you need to know about the upcoming sequel and has taken a look at all of the new characters – or should we say, suspects.

Miles Bron, played by Edward Norton

Billionaire tech mogul Miles Bron, played by Norton, is the owner of the private island where the movie takes place. 

He invited a group of his old college pals to come visit him for what he thought would be a weekend of fun. He has planned a fake murder mystery for the group to solve – but what was meant to be a game is turned into a real-life nightmare after one of them gets killed.

‘Across the island, I’ve hidden clues. You will have to closely observe each other. If anyone can name the killer, that person wins our game,’ he said in the trailer.

Norton opened up about his character to EW, explaining, ‘We’ve all seen those entrepreneurs, who are doing something clever at best but suddenly declare that they’re going to solve society’s ills.

‘I love that [creator Johnson] sticks a fork in that idea of disruption, and of people who over credit themselves with changing the system.’

And according to Johnson, Miles will play a pivotal role in the story, especially as detective Blanc uncovers some of his ‘big lies.’

He added in another interview with Comicbook.com, ‘The species that [Miles] is derived from will be instantly recognizable to a lot of people in our era of tech billionaires.’ 

Norton certainly had a great time making the movie, which he hopes will come through on screen. He told EW of the experience, ‘Everyone was a little giddy with the fun of it. There’s a lot of exuberance within the story. You can feel that a lot of fun has gone into making it.’ 

‘[Johnson] has really taken the [whodunit] form and applied it to the modern world,’ he added. ‘He’s weaved those old-fashioned pleasures of the detective/murder mystery into scenarios and settings that make it more resonant with the lives we’re living today.

‘They give you a special dimension of humor and laughter because you’re seeing a world that you know and you’re seeing reference points to what we see in the headlines. It walks that tightrope between a delightfully entertaining movie and commentary and satire to give it teeth.’

Fans may recognize Norton from his past roles in the thriller Primal Fear, the crime drama American History X, the cult classic Fight Club, heist movie The Score, Spike Lee’s 25th Hour, mystery flick The Illusionist, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Mavel’s The Incredible Hulk, and The Bourne Legacy.

Lionel Toussaint, played by Leslie Odom Jr. 

Lionel Toussaint, who is portrayed by Odom Jr., is a scientist who works at Miles’ company. He dished on his character to Virgin Radio UK, explaining, ‘[Lionel and Miles have] been friends for a very long time. 

‘And you know, those relationships are fraught with all kinds of tension because of our history. That leads to us needing [Detective Blanc to stay] very close.’

The actor also spoke to EW about the close connections that he formed with his costars on set, gushing, ‘This was the first movie I’ve done where people weren’t running off to their own trailer to get time away.

‘We’d show up at the beginning of the day. We’d play some chess, play some music. We were there for the hang.’

But before filming kicked off, he admitted he was pretty nervous. He told MovieWeb.com, ‘I’m going to try not to make a fool of myself. I’m going to show up and take notes, and learn all I can.’ 

He also told Express.co.uk that he did a lot of research for the role, and tried to find black scientists that he could base the character on – which he found in a man who worked at NASA, named Lonnie Johnson, now 73. On top of his work at the space organization, Lonnie also invented the Super Soaker.

‘In a test for NASA he invented this thing with pressurized water and he was like: “This would be a really cool toy.” I had no idea that a black man invented the Super Soaker,’ Odom Jr. told the outlet.

Odom Jr. is well known for his impressive Broadway career. He starred in the musical Hamilton, which earned him a Tony Award for Best Actor. His other theater credits include Dreamgirls, Leap of Faith, Venice, and Tick, Tick… Boom!

He also starred in the TV show Smash, CBS’ Person of Interest, the 2017 murder mystery movie Murder on the Orient Express, the biographical film Harriet, the Sopranos prequel film The Many Saints of Newark, and One Night in Miami… He also voiced a character in the comedy series Central Park and has released four studio albums over the years. 

Claire Debella, played by Kathryn Hahn

Hahn is set to play Claire Debella – a Connecticut governor who is running for Senate – and according to Nerdist.com, she ‘gets on everyone’s nerves.’ 

Empire also reported that Claire ‘pisses everyone off’ due to her ability to say or do whatever it takes to get what she wants.

‘She 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,’ the outlet reported. 

Before filming kicked off, she said she was a huge fan of the original Knives Out and added that she was ‘very excited’ to be a part of the movie on the MTV Movie & TV Awards red carpet.

Afterwards, she spoke about the experience to EW, and she couldn’t stop gushing over Johnson. 

‘He doesn’t just pick people who are right for the parts, he picks people who are right for the ensemble,’ she said. ‘It feels egoless – everyone is on the same playing field.’

While speaking to Better.net, she called the entire cast ‘a delight,’ adding, ‘I love every single one of these humans so deeply.

‘It really was one of those experiences that I’ll never forget – and that it translated to the screen as fun and fizzy as it does is chef’s kiss.’

Hahn is a well known actress and comedian, who has starred in a number of movies and TV shows like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Step Brothers, We’re the Millers, Bad Moms, Tomorrowland, Private Life, Captain Fantastic, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, WandaVision, Parks and Recreation, Transparent, and Mrs. Fletcher. 

Birdie Jay, played by Kate Hudson

Hudson’s character, Birdie Jay, is a former model and self absorbed ‘fashionista.’ And viewers shouldn’t expect her to have the best morals, based on what Hudson dished to EW about her character.

‘[Johnson] creates characters that are terrible people. They do terrible things all the time, and it’s delicious to watch,’ she said. ‘As an actor, when you get to play things so far removed from who you are, this is what we love to do.’

Meaww.com reported that her character has ‘a side to her that his not pleasant – and is even filled with some dark secrets.’ 

She told the outlet that it was ‘challenging’ for her to portray the ‘tone-deaf’ celebrity in the flick, but added that she was thankful she took on the role in the end.

‘It’s challenging because Birdie is so tone-deaf and some of the things she says, if I thought too hard about them, are quite scary,’ she admitted. 

‘But [Johnson] wrote such a great character in Birdie, she’s so deeply funny, oblivious to herself, layered, and sad and co-dependent. 

‘I had so much fun with the character and [Johnson], like everyone has been saying from the beginning, is an absolute joy to work with. So you feel really safe saying the types of things Birdie says.’

Hudson admitted on the Graham Norton Show that she was nervous about what people might think of her character, explaining that before she attended a screening of the movie last month, she worried so much about how audience might react that she was left ‘sweating.’

‘It caused lots of sweating and a headache,’ she said of her nerves before attending the viewing. ‘But when I did see it with so many people it was just raucous and a great party. It was cool.’

When asked about her character by the show’s host, she stayed tight lipped, stating, ‘I really can’t tell you much about it because it’s a mystery, but it was so much fun to do and my character Birdy was fabulous to play. The cast is wonderful and Daniel was great fun to watch.’ 

Hudson has had an impressive career, starring in a slew of big titles over the years like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, the comedy flick You, Me and Dupree, rom-com My Best Friend’s Girl, Bride Wars, Raising Helen, supernatural horror movie The Skeleton Key, Something Borrowed, and the show Glee.

Peg, played by Jessica Henwick

Henwick will star as Peg, Birdie’s assistant, and according to EW, she has a ‘toxic love/hate dynamic’ with her boss. 

Johnson also explained to Comicbook.com that the ‘income divide’ between the characters will be one of the major themes portrayed in the flick. 

‘The movie itself is not entirely about the income divide, but that definitely has a huge place in it,’ he revealed. ‘We’re in a moment in history where the divide feels increasingly obscene. Like a circus that we can’t keep our eyes off even, as the negative effects of it become more and more real in all our lives.’

Henwick admitted to Toisto.net that it was hard for her – and the other cast members – to keep a straight face sometimes during the filming because of how dramatic some scenes were.

‘There were times when we’d corpse. In one scene, I have to scream and [Craig] just had to turn away because he couldn’t be on camera looking like he did. Just hysterical,’ she recalled.

‘But a big part of why I said yes to the part was that I could shadow [Johnson] as a director. Just to be a fly on the wall to this stellar cast, who’ll probably never be together once the press tour ends.

‘That’s what I came for, to watch and learn. I wanted to peel back the onion. I wanted to see [Craig’s] process. How many takes he needs, what he does. Just as a fan.’

Hudson also opened up about the ‘odd’ dynamic between her character and Henwick’s character.

‘We were also such an odd couple, and this dynamic was so fun to play,’ she said. ‘It’s the whole butterfly to the moth to the flame thing; one can’t exist without the other. We were a good team.

‘There is an adlib between us that we jumped right into. So many funny interactions that, while not in the film, built our dynamic. It was the foundation for that. Those adlibs. We started to feel the characters immediately once we met.’

Henwick added: ‘I think we brought it to life together really well. It’s a fascinating relationship between two women that we don’t get to see on film often.

‘They love each other, but on Peggy’s side it’s also, “I hate her, but I can’t get away from her because I love her.”’

Before landing the role in Glass Onion, Henwick starred in the HBO series Game of Thrones, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Marvel movie Iron Fist, the The Matrix Resurrections.

Duke Cody, played by Dave Bautista

Bautista’s character, Duke Cody, is described as a Twitch influencer and popular YouTube star. And before they made the movie, he admitted to SlashFilm that he was certainly feeling the pressure to deliver. 

‘It feels terrifying. I’m nervous about it. I’m really nervous,’ he said. ‘I want to deliver. I take pride in that. I’m a game player. I want to throw a touchdown pass.’

Afterwards, Bautista – who had previously starred alongside Craig in the movie Spectre – opened up about working with the actor, and he said seeing him on set of Glass Onion was a totally different experience than on set of the James Bond movie.

‘He was really put through it on Bond. You could feel that he was under a lot of pressure. He didn’t seem like the happiest person on Bond, but on Glass Onion, it was the complete opposite.

‘He was just so much fun, and he was always smiling and happy and interacted a lot more. On Spectre, there wasn’t a whole lot of interaction with the whole cast. 

‘But Glass Onion was the complete opposite. We were always together. So I got to know him better as a person and actually see him do his thing.

‘It’s really a weird thing when you watch someone transform from Bond to Benoit Blanc. It’s amazing because I’m always in awe of people who can transform themselves like that. 

‘This is why I wanted to be an actor, because I wanted to be that guy. As odd as it sounds – because I look like a f**kng gorilla – I wanted to be a chameleon.’ 

Bautista, who is a retired professional wrestler, is most known for playing Drax the Destroyer in the Marvel movie Guardians of the Galaxy. His other acting credits include martial artis movie The Man with the Iron Fists, sci-fi flick Riddick, Blade Runner 2049, zombie movie Army of the Dead, and Dune.

Whiskey, played by Madelyn Cline 

Cline is set to play Duke’s much-younger girlfriend and assistant, Whiskey, who is also an online influencer. According to EW, Whiskey is social media obsessed – which is something that the actress related to.

She told the outlet that she sometimes struggles with insecurities that stem from social media, and she was able to put those feelings into the character. 

‘Sometimes I catch myself being a little bit hyperaware of myself and criticizing what I do,’ she admitted. ‘I think especially living in LA and being the age that I am, being able to tap into that and incorporate that into [Whiskey] was really fun.’

She also told Toisto.net that her relationship with social media is slightly ‘unhealthy,’ explaining, ‘I would say it’s wonderful to have, but I tolerate it. It does sometimes drive me to step outside of myself, to see myself as a third party, which is a little unhealthy.’

Cline previously starred in the popular Netflix show Outer Banks, alongside Chase Stokes, Madison Bailey, Jonathan Daviss, Rudy Pankow, and Austin North.

Cassandra ‘Andi’ Brand played by Janelle Monáe

Monáe, who is non-binary, will play a tech entrepreneur named Cassandra ‘Andi’ Brand in the movie, and according to the star, the role brought out a new side to them that they had never seen before.

‘When my friends saw it, they were like, “Oh, that’s the side of Janelle that we get to see,”‘ they told Vanity Fair recently. ‘You guys don’t know this side of her.’

They explained that she worked the ‘longest hours’ on set, with the outlet adding that ‘once you see the movie, you’ll see why.’

‘I worked the longest hours of all my cast members,’ they continued. ‘It’s a very, very big role. And there were moments where I was up until six in the morning shooting certain things. 

‘I knew what it took to get a take. And when you know what it takes to do something – when you live that experience – [you’re waiting] for the release.’

They also told the outlet that she broke down in tears the first time she watched the movie.

‘I think it was me looking at all the hard work that I had done,’ they explained of the reason she became emotional. ‘I was really proud of myself. 

‘I worked my a** off. We were in 105-110-degree temperatures outside, shooting with our own lights and the light from the sun… I finally released. I finally had that moment.’

They also revealed that she felt a personal connection to the character, which made it even more emotional for her.

‘I understand what it’s like to feel like you have to make your mark in this world as a Black entrepreneur,’ they said.

Monáe started their career off as a successful singer and rapper, before switching over to acting. Their acting debut came in 2016 when they starred in the movie Moonlight. They have also acted in Hidden Figures, dystopian musical Dirty Computer, Harriet, and the thriller flick Antebellum.