Oscar nominee Kenneth Branagh (Henry V, Thor) will produce, direct, and star in Murder on the Orient Express based on Agatha Christie’s bestselling novel. Branagh will play Detective Poirot in the 20th Century Fox production which also has Ridley Scott, Simon Kinberg, and Mark Gordon on board as producers. Michael Green (Blade Runner 2) has been tapped to adapt Christie’s book.
Agatha Christie’s great grandson and Chairman of Agatha Christie Ltd James Prichard is one of the executive producers on the film. Commenting on the adaptation, Prichard said, “The extraordinary thing about my Great Grandmother’s stories is just how timeless they are and how perfectly they lend themselves to the cinematic experience. Eighty years after the publication of the novel, Fox and its creative team will bring Murder on the Orient Express, a classic Christie tale, to new audiences across the world. We are genuinely excited about this partnership and with 33 Poirot stories to be told, we look forward to this being the first of many collaborations.”
“We have been working with the fantastic team at Fox for some time now and could not be happier with the creative talent that they have brought together for this wonderful project,” stated Hilary Strong Chief Executive Officer at Christie production and rights management business, Agatha Christie Ltd, who’s also an executive producer on the new adaptation. “Michael Green has crafted a brilliant script, full of the essence of Agatha Christie and the mischief and brilliance of Hercule Poirot and I cannot think of a better director or actor to bring that script and character to light than Kenneth Branagh. We have also been delivered an amazing team of producers – Simon Kinberg, Ridley Scott and Mark Gordon – and I have no doubt that the alchemy of this extraordinary group of talented individuals and Agatha Christie’s brilliant story and character will create a cinematic feast that is truly memorable.”
The plot revolves around a murder on board the famous train, and Belgian detective Hercule Poirot must solve the case – but there are a number of passengers who could potentially be the murderer.
