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EXCLUSIVE: Blade Runner 2049 and War Dogs actress Ana de Armas is set to join Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Lakeith Stanfield and Michael Shannon in writer-director Rian Johnson’s Knives Out.

Shoot is due to begin next month on the modern-day murder mystery which will see Craig star as a detective. Stanfield will also play a detective. Plot and character details are largely being kept under wraps.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Looper director Johnson and regular partner Ram Bergman are producing. House Of Cards and Ted backer MRC is behind the project after splashing out big for it in Toronto. A distributor is expected to emerge for the hot package in coming months. Craig will most likely go from this to Bond 25.

De Armas will next be seen in the untitled Danny Boyle project and Three Seconds opposite Clive Owen and Rosamund Pike. Upcoming MRC projects include The Great Written by Tony McNamara (The Favourite) starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult; and Mortal Engines, written and produced by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens.

De Armas is repped by CAA, Impression Entertainment and Grubman, Shire, Meiselas & Sacks.