Coming out this week from Lionsgate is director Rian Johnson’s upcoming star-studded mystery film Knives Out, starring Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Daniel Craig, Michael Shannon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Katherine Langford, Lakeith Stanfield, Riki Lindhome, Christopher Plummer, Don Johnson, Jaeden Lieberher, Frank Oz, & Raul Castillo.
Acclaimed writer and director Rian Johnson (Brick, Looper, The Last Jedi) pays tribute to mystery mastermind Agatha Christie in Knives Out, a fun, modern-day murder mystery where everyone is a suspect. When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan’s dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan’s untimely death.
For Stanfield, who’s no stranger to doing ensemble films with film credits that include Selma, Dope, Straight Outta Compton, Get Out, Sorry to Bother You and the upcoming films Uncut Gems and The Photograph. With Knives Out, Stanfield is working with a cast of actors who have been part of some well-known and long franchises.
Blackfilm.com recently caught up with Stanfield as he spoke about joining this cast and the role he plays.
What was it that attracted you to say yes to be to being part of this film?
Lakeith Stanfield: Rian Johnson had reached out to me and sent me the script. That was fun. It definitely took me for a ride that I wasn’t expecting. Then I looked at the cast and everybody that was a part of it and I realized it would be a great opportunity to learn from these people who have been doing this for a very long time. If I had any reservation about the script and the story, if these people were doing it, then I know it was probably a good bet. I ended up doing it.
Considering this a mystery film, were you given the whole script before you said yes?
Lakeith Stanfield: Yes. I’m always given the script before I say yes. If it a friend that asked me to do a favor, I might do that; but I don’t go in blind.
How would you best describe your character?
Lakeith Stanfield: I play a detective investigating a murder and he wants justice brought about. He’s in a strange situation where there is a lot of things going on and it’s difficult to ascertain. He’s putting all his training and technique together along with this interesting character (played by Daniel Craig) who comes out of nowhere to get to the truth.
How was it working with the cast?
Lakeith Stanfield: It was quite nice. It was working with people with so much experience which gave me something to learn on and off camera. I learned how to prepare my hotel room from Jamie Lee Curtis. She told me how to call ahead and let the staff know what or how you want stuff done before you get there. I watched how folks interact with other people. It was nice to learn from them little things that I never really thought was important but they are.
What did you pick up from Rian that you haven’t picked up from other directors that you can take on to your next project?
Lakeith Stanfield: The beautiful thing about Rian and it’s not so much something I learned but he definitely thought me how to keep my head up, how to remain calm, how to remain in control. This could be a demanding job when one is directing and there are so many things he has to take into consideration. When you have to do this everyday for a period of time, it can wear you out. You have to know how to balance your energy. Rian is one the few directors I’ve worked with that are able to keep their cool. They don’t understand how much that helps us as cast members. When you’re the captain of this ship and you look confident in what you’re doing, that makes our jobs easier. If you look confused, then we don’t know where this thing is going and its a trickle down effect.
What’s the joy of being part of an ensemble film and you’ve done a number of these?
Lakeith Stanfield: It’s quite nice. It’s like being part of a team. You get to change up the players on a team with each different project, and you get different imaginations and different thoughts. You develop rapport on and off set. People have different styles of doing things but we come together to get the job done.
What are some mystery films you grew up watching?
Lakeith Stanfield: I grew up watching films like Boyz N the Hood and Menace II Society, The Players’ Club, and a lot of black films from the 90s. Films like The Lion King, which I still watch. Those are the films I grew up with so when I read the script, I thought it was really cool to be a part of this.
You’ve got ‘The Photograph’ out next year. Are you ready to be that romantic lead?
Lakeith Stanfield: Yes. My only interest is to tell a story. This movie is for the people and I hope they enjoy it and engage in some love and seeing beautiful black people on the screen.
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