Daniel Craig’s Southern-accented detective, Benoit Blanc, has quickly become a fan-favorite in modern whodunits, but he almost didn’t get the role. As the Knives Out film series returns with Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, director Rian Johnson revealed that Craig’s James Bond schedule nearly forced them to recast.
Daniel Craig nearly didn’t play Benoit Blanc due to scheduling conflict
Rian Johnson told IndieWire that Daniel Craig was always his top pick for Benoit Blanc, but the actor’s Bond schedule made him a no-go during the early days of Knives Out. Rian reached out to other people and got a bunch of “no”s.
“When we were first trying to get Knives Out made, Daniel wasn’t available. He was doing the Bond movies. He was my first choice for it, but he was a hard “not available” because he was on the Bond movies. So, we went to other people for it. We got a bunch of “no”s about Benoit Blanc,” he stated.
Luckily, a delay in Craig’s Bond filming opened a tiny window, and Johnson jumped on it.
“I’ll reiterate that the instant there was some delay with the Bond movie and Daniel had a window, the instant he became available, I leapt. Thank God. Thank God, Daniel got it. And the moment Daniel read the script and said yes, it was six weeks until we were shooting,” the filmmaker added.
Johnson said the tight timeline actually worked in their favor. “The whole movie was put together really, really quickly. Which, actually, with casting, helps,” he explained. Even with the rush, Craig’s sharp, witty take on Benoit Blanc became the heart of the franchise, and his chemistry with each new ensemble keeps the films fresh and entertaining.
The director also made it clear that Craig and Benoit Blanc are basically one and the same. When asked if the detective could ever be recast, he didn’t hesitate: “He’s Indy. He’s Daniel doing it.” Johnson called Craig a true creative partner, explaining, If either of them ever feels off about doing it, they will “stop.” “We’re in the same boat,” Johnson said.
The third Knives Out film, Wake Up Dead Man, serves up a fresh mystery with Craig’s Benoit Blanc still front and center.
