In the first big casting to Rian Johnson’s upcoming sequel to “Knives Out,” Dave Bautista is set to join Daniel Craig in the next installment, which Netflix recently landed the rights too in a monumental deal. Deadline first reported in March that Netflix was closing a deal worth of US$400 million for the next two installments, a historic deal for streamers. Johnson is back to write and direct the pic and will produce with his partner Ram Bergman with Craig reprising the role of super sleuth Benoit Blanc. Plot details are unknown at this time other then Craig returning to solve another mystery revolving around a large cast of suspects. It is also unknown who Bautista will be playing in the pic. Production is set to start this summer in Greece. Best known for his action-heavy roles in like “Guardians of the Galaxy” and the upcoming “Army of the Dead,” this latest role should give Bautista some fun scenery to chew on given Johnson’s first “Knives Out” script that was full of fun characters and snappy dialogue. Netflix is no stranger to getting in big business with Bautista, who is set to star in Zack Snyder’s tentpole zombie pic “Army of the Dead,” another film viewed as a possible franchise at the streamer. He is also set to star as Jason Momoa’s brother in the next season of Apple TV+’s “See.” He is set to reprise his role as Drax in not one but two Marvel pics, “Thor Love and Thunder,” which he just finished shooting and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. III.” (SD-Agencies) | 