Leslie Odom Jr joins Knives Out sequel

Leslie Odom Jr is the latest actor to join the cast of the recently announced sequel to Rian Johnson's 2019 whodunnit Knives Out. The One Night in Miami actor joins fellow newcomers Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Edward Norton, and Janelle Monae in the sequel.

Daniel Craig, who essayed the role of master sleuth Benoit Blanc in the first movie, will reprise the part in the next instalment that is bankrolled by Netflix. The streaming platform recently acquired the rights to develop two follow-ups to Knives Out in a reported $450 million deal.

Rian Johnson is returning to direct the sequel and is also producing the film with Ram Bergman under their T-Street production banner. The plot details are being kept under wraps.

Along with Daniel Craig, Knives Out featured a massive ensemble cast including Hollywood A-listers such as Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, Lakeith Stanfield, and Christopher Plummer. The film enjoyed both critical and commercial success, with critics hailing it as one of the best murder mysteries to come out in recent times.

Odom, whose credits include Murder on the Orient Express and Hamilton, was recently seen as Sam Cooke in Regina King’s One Night in Miami — a role that garnered him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. His television credits include Grey's Anatomy, Person of Interest, Gilmore Girls, and House of Lies, among many others.

The pre-production of the Knives Out sequel is set to begin this year in Greece.