Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot is returning to the screen for the third time, this round in a film called “A Haunting in Venice” based on an Agatha Christie mystery, 20th Century Studios announced Monday.
Branagh, who will return to direct the franchise for the third time, has set a cast that includes Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan and Michelle Yeoh to star alongside his portrayal as the world class detective.
“A Haunting in Venice” is inspired by Christie’s novel “Hallowe’en Party” from 1969. Also starring in the ensemble cast will be Kyle Allen (“Rosaline”), Camille Cottin (“Call My Agent”), Jude Hill (“Belfast”), Ali Khan (“6 Underground”), Emma Laird (“Mayor of Kingstown”), Kelly Reilly (“Yellowstone”) and Riccardo Scamarico (“Caravaggio’s Shadow”).
Production is slated to begin on “A Haunting in Venice” next month and will shoot both in Pinewood Studios outside London and on location in Venice. 20th Century Studios is also planning a 2023 theatrical release for the film.
Set in the eerie, post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve, “A Haunting in Venice” is a terrifying mystery featuring the return of the celebrated sleuth, Hercule Poirot. Now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the world’s most glamorous city, Poirot reluctantly attends a séance at a decaying, haunted palazzo. When one of the guests is murdered, the detective is thrust into a sinister world of shadows and secrets.
Michael Green wrote the script, as he did on the last two Christie adaptations “Murder on the Orient Express” and “Death on the Nile.” “A Haunting in Venice” will also reunite producer Judy Hofflund, and executive producers Louise Killin and James Prichard, along with filmmakers Ridley Scott, Simon Kinberg and Mark Gordon.
“This is a fantastic development of the character Hercule Poirot, as well as the Agatha Christie franchise,” Branagh said in a statement. “Based on a complex, little known tale of mystery set at Halloween in a pictorially ravishing city, it is an amazing opportunity for us, as filmmakers, and we are relishing the chance to deliver something truly spine-chilling for our loyal movie audiences.”
“We are enormously privileged to continue our long collaboration with the incomparable Sir Kenneth Branagh and couldn’t be more excited by the bold new creative direction Ken, Michael, and the rest of the filmmaking team have taken with this latest film. We also remain grateful to James Prichard and the rest of our friends at Agatha Christie, Ltd., for their partnership and for once again entrusting us with, as Poirot modestly calls himself, ‘probably the greatest detective in the world,’” Steve Asbell, president 20th Century Studios, said.
Branagh kicked off his run of Christie adaptations with “Murder on the Orient Express” in 2017, which made $352 million worldwide at the box office. His follow-up “Death on the Nile” from February of this year, which he also starred in and directed, did not find near the same level of success. That’s because its release was marred by multiple factors, first because of multiple delays from the COVID-19 pandemic, but also because of star Armie Hammer being accused of sexual misconduct before the film could hit theaters. But even so, “Death on the Nile” still managed to rake in $137 million globally, despite more than two-thirds of that haul coming from overseas markets.
Though “Nile” was released in 2022, between directing the Hercule Poirot films, Branagh directed Disney’s “Artemis Fowl” and “Belfast,” his highly personal and mostly autobiographical film about growing up as a child in Ireland during the Troubles. From the latter project, he’s reuniting with both Dornan and the young Hill on “A Haunting in Venice.”
“Belfast” was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture, and Branagh’s script won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. As an actor, he’ll next be seen in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.”
