A third Poirot movie is in the works & 20th Century Studios says it will be very different from Death on the Nile

It looks like we’re going to embark on a third mystery with Hercule Poirot following the recent release of Death on the Nile. According to The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Century Studios will be moving ahead with a third film that will be very different from its predecessor.

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, 20th Century Pictures President Steve Asbell said that screenwriter Michael Green is working on a script for the third Poirot film and that it will feature a major shift in genre and tone from both Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. Asbell also revealed that Kenneth Branagh will return to direct and star in the film. Here is what he had to say:

“We have the Poirot franchise, we have other Christie stories. I love these films, I love Ken [Branagh, who plays detective Hercule Poirot and directed Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile]. We have a third script written, by Michael Green, that is a pretty daring shift in genre and in tone. It’s post-war Venice and an adaptation of one of the lesser-known novels. So I think you’ll see the mustache again.”

News of a third Poirot film might seem shocking given the box office performance of Death on the Nile but a closer inspection shows that, even though that film is trailing Murder on the Orient Express in terms of box office gross, it’s still performing decently globally despite several delays and the pandemic. To date, Death on the Nile has grossed $34 million domestically but has taken in $102.4 million worldwide against a $90 million budget. That’s a far cry from the $102.8 million domestic take of Murder on the Orient Express and its $352.7 million global haul but Death on the Nile certainly had more odds against it. Also, since 20th Century Studios seems to be putting more focus on streaming films, it’s very possible that the third Poirot mystery could always end up being a Hulu Original film.

Do YOU hunt to see a third Hercule Poirot mystery? What lesser-known novel do YOU hope they’re adapting next?