‘Knives Out 2’ Adds Rom-Com Queen Kate Hudson To The Cast
Kate Hudson, star of romantic comedies likeHow to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,Fool’s Gold, andBride Wars, is the latest addition to the star-studded cast ofRian Johnson’sKnives Out 2. The highly anticipated sequel is set to film in Greece this summer, takingDaniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc character to an international locale and embroiling him in another murder mystery.The Hollywood Reporterbroke theKnives Out 2Kate Hudson casting news, but just like all of the other new characters in this follow-up, everyone remains in the dark about just what type of person she’ll be playing.
The cast members who have been announced so far include the returning Daniel Craig and newcomersDave Bautista,Janelle Monaé,Edward Norton,Kathryn Hahn, andLeslie Odom Jr. My gut reaction to hearing the news that Hudson was joining this group was disappointment, because on the surface, it doesn’t feel like she has the same dynamism in her performances as the rest of these folks and she hasn’t been making what I’d call great career choices as of late, as evidenced by the fact that she recently starred in the reviled Sia movie,Music.
But after that gut reaction passed, I find myself feeling more curious and even optimistic about this choice. Even though some of her romantic comedies don’t hold up as well as some of the indisputable classics of the genre, I think Hudson nailed the tone of those movies and executes on a high level when it comes to the emotional and comedic beats in them. And while those films have largely defined her in the minds of American audiences, don’t forget that she’s done non rom-com stuff too:Almost FamousandThe Killer Inside Mecome to mind.
Plus, when it all comes down to it, I trust that if Rian Johnson believes Hudson is the right fit for this part, she will be the right fit. Looking back over his entire filmography, I can’t think of a single casting choice that I’ve been disappointed in after the fact, so there’s no reason to think I’ll be disappointed here – especially when we have no clue what this new movie is even about. Hell, this might even be a Tarantino-style career resurrection moment for Hudson, launching her into a whole new phase of her career.
Johnson is back to write and direct the sequel, and his producerRam Bergmanis reuniting with him to run point on the production. Johnson, Bergman, and Craig all signed a huge deal with Netflix to makeKnives Out 2andKnives Out 3at the streamer, and it’s one of the biggest streaming deals in history thus far. Those three guys stand to make upwards of$100 million eachfrom the deal, which involved the rights to the franchise moving from Lionsgate’s theatrical division to the omnipresent streaming service.
