Ethan Hawke exclusively confirmed his Knives Out 2 role is just a cameo after being secretly cast in Rian Johnson's murder mystery sequel. The original film first hit theaters in 2019 and centered on Daniel Craig's eccentric private detective Benoit Blanc as he is enlisted to help solve the murder of a wealthy mystery novelist, with all of his dysfunctional family serving as suspects. Upon its release, Knives Out was a smash hit, grossing over $311.4 million against its $40 million budget and garnering rave reviews from critics and audiences alike, including receiving three Golden Globe nominations and one Oscar nod.
Development on Knives Out 2 slowly began ahead of the first film's release as Johnson teased ideas for a follow-up before it was officially confirmed in early 2020 that Lionsgate had greenlit the project with Craig attached to return. However, development would head in an interesting new direction as Johnson and producing partner Ram Bergman would auction the rights to the franchise, with Netflix winning for an estimated sum of $469 million for two sequels. Johnson would swiftly begin assembling an ensemble cast including Dave Bautista, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Kate Hudson, Madelyn Cline, Jessica Henwick and Ethan Hawke, with filming lasting from June 2021 to September.
While speaking exclusively with Screen Rant to discuss the pandemic war thriller Zeros and Ones, Hawke opened up about his Knives Out 2 role. Though keeping his lips sealed on what exactly is coming from the sequel, the Oscar nominee did confirm he only has a cameo in the film and sought to downplay audience's expectations. See what Hawke shared below:
"Knives Out 2, I just have a cameo in that movie. Don't expect much from me."
Given the large roster of cast members attached to Knives Out 2, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to learn that some may be smaller roles or even cameos. While the likes of 13 Reasons Why alum Katherine Langford and It star Jaeden Martell were featured prominently in the marketing for the first Knives Out, their characters were largely left on the sidelines, especially the latter who only offered a few comedic lines and one key clue amidst his essentially background performance. Additionally, given Hawke's Knives Out 2 casting was only revealed thanks to some set photos and seemingly wasn't seen in any other locations, it already seemed likely his role may not have been a major one for the sequel.
That being said, a minimal role for Hawke in Knives Out 2 isn't the end of the world for the sequel. With a cast nearly as equally stacked as its predecessor, including the potential return of longtime Johnson collaborator and friend Noah Segan, the film will certainly not be lacking in a roster of outrageous characters and performances. Given filming concluded on Knives Out 2 in September, one can only hope further teases for the sequel are right around the corner from Johnson or Netflix.