Though Kenneth Branagh's last stab at Hercule Poirot, Death On The Nile, didn't exactly sail into the box office record books, he's been ready to jump back into the world of Agatha Christie for a while now. And with shooting scheduled to kick off soon, we know that Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey and Michelle Yeoh are among the ensemble.
And they're just the tip of the casting iceberg, as Branagh has organised a mini Belfast reunion, since Jude Hill, who played a character based on the director's own youthful experiences opposite Dornan as his father, is also aboard.
Also among the new recruits? Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Ali Khan, Emma Laird, Kelly Reilly and Riccardo Scamarcio.
Set in eerie, post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve, the story is described as a terrifying mystery. Now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the world’s most glamorous city, Poirot (along with his 'tache) 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, who wrote both previous Poirot movies, adapted this one from Christie's 1969 book Hallowe’en Party.
"This is a fantastic development of the character Hercule Poirot, as well as the Agatha Christie franchise," says Branagh 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."
Filming will start – somewhat appropriately – on Halloween this year and the film should be in cinemas by late 2023.
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