Josh Brolin Candidly Reveals His Biggest Concerns About Knives Out 3 Role: I Dont Know If Im Good Enough

Despite having a wealth of experience behind him, Josh Brolin reveals he had major concerns about joining Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. The upcoming movie marks the third installment in Rian Johnson’s acclaimed whodunnit comedy franchise, with Daniel Craig again returning to lead a new ensemble cast as the eccentric private detective, Benoit Blanc. Alongside Craig and Brolin, the cast for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery includes Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Josh O’Connor, Kerry Washington, Glenn Close, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack and Thomas Haden Church.

During a recent interview with Variety to discuss his memoir, From Under the Truck, Brolin reflected on his work to get sober and how it’s given him confidence going into future acting roles. One such upcoming role is that of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, which he recalls being “scared” about taking on upon reading Johnson’s script for it, and admitting he’s unsure he could’ve done it if still drinking. See what Brolin shared below:

I read it, and I was like, “This is so elevated.” This writing is supreme. And I got scared. I was like, “I don’t know if I’m good enough to do this. I don’t know if I can portray all these subtleties in a way that’s organic and authentic.” But I prepped a lot and got ready for it. That would have all looked very different had I been drinking. I don’t know if I could have done it.

What This Means For Brolin & Wake Up Dead Man

The Knives Out Star Is Taking His Role Very Seriously

Even when considering the reason why Brolin felt concerned about taking on the threequel, it’s sure to come as a surprise for fans of the actor to hear about his fears to star in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. The past few years have been fruitful for the Oscar nominee, having followed up his Marvel Cinematic Universe tenure with everything from Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies to the acclaimed sci-fi series Outer Range. Check out Brolin’s work from the past five years, and how they compare on Rotten Tomatoes, in the chart below:

The other reason why Brolin’s fears about Wake Up Dead Man are sure to come as a surprise is that the star already has experience in the mystery and thriller genres. While he’s not starred in the whodunnit genre directly, his work in the likes of the Coen Brothers’ mystery comedy Hail, Caesar! and the neo-noir period mystery Inherent Vice, which do have similar tonal aesthetics to Johnson’s franchise.

Despite his concerns, however, Brolin isn’t the only one to celebrate the Knives Out franchise’s writing having pushed them to expand their acting range. Glass Onion‘s Dave Bautista was similarly enthusiastic about his work in the 2022 sequel, having even shown it early to his Dune: Part Two co-stars, including Brolin, despite being afraid of how they’d view his performance, only for them all to praise his work. While that and the Dune movies marked a departure from the action-driven fare Bautista was used to at the time, Brolin is more used to dramatic work, making his fears fairly intriguing.

Our Take On Brolin’s Concerns With Wake Up Dead Man

The Knives Out Threequel Could Show The Funny Side Of Brolin

While Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery may be a return to the mystery genre he’s explored before, I’m really thrilled to see Brolin get the chance to flex his funny bone. He’s really only occasionally had the chance to showcase it in general, and while Prime Video’s Brothers may not have been the best movie, his comic timing was undeniable, and I can’t wait to see how he plays off the rest of the ensemble cast Johnson has assembled much like he did with Peter Dinklage.

Source: Variety

World-renowned detective Benoit Blanc returns in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. The film will follow a new cast surrounding the detective as he attempts to solve another strange case.

Studio(s)

T-Street Productions

Distributor(s)

Netflix

Franchise(s)

Knives Out

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