Rian Johnson Cast Glass Onion Like The Guest List Of A 'Dinner Party'

Besides Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc and one close friend of writer and director Rian Johnson, the cast of "Knives Out" and "Glass Onion" are entirely different. Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of more Benoit Blanc mysteries in the future is the speculation and lead-up to finding out which actors will play the eccentric suspects that match wits with the detective. The process of assembling an ensemble cast likely requires a delicate balance of chemistry between performers and Daniel Craig himself. Among the varying moving pieces of making a whodunnit as intricate as Johnsons, casting can be overlooked by fans but is essential in helping bring Johnson's clever scripts to life. 

The first "Knives Out" struck gold with the likes of Chris Evans, Ana De Armas, Michael Shannon, Toni Collete, Jamie Lee Curtis, and so many more. Making up the Thrombey family, the ensemble of "Knives Out" bounced off each other perfectly. Their interactions with Benoit Blanc made the whodunnit much more engaging, providing a modern take on the genre. Thankfully, "Glass Onion" didn't disappoint with its eclectic follow-up cast of characters. Despite having fewer suspects this time around, each of the unique characters helped drive the story forward. 

One of the actors spoke briefly about what Rian Johnson looks for when assembling a cast worthy of a Benoit Blanc mystery, and it all boils down to finding delightful people to work with. 

Featured as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kathryn Hahn talked about being a part of "Glass Onion." Hahn called it a positive experience, which, according to the actor, is "not always the case, where you have such a fun time working on something, sometimes it doesn't translate to the screen." However, for Rian Johnson, it was all about bringing familiarity and comfortableness to the production, as Hahn would elaborate:

"This particular one was like– it, really, because Rian Johnson, who directed and wrote it, said he casts things like would host a dinner party. Because he knows that the hours that you're gonna spend with each other. I mean, you're with the same group, you're with this group so much that you better have an awesome group of, like, ego-less, just good eggs that you're gonna want to spend time together with. So it just became this kind of ... just the group was rad."

As much as "Knives Out" and "Glass Onion" are filled with ego-centric characters, the casts that bring them to life are the opposite. The camaraderie and engaging dynamic in the film could be attributed to Johnson gathering actors who enjoy working with each other. More than that, Rian Johnson's general capability as a director helps his films feel evocative of the current social climate. No matter who Johnson casts for the next mystery, we can have faith that the director will assemble a cast worthy of any dinner party.