I think most of us have read at least one of Agatha Christie’s series of classic mystery novels, or at the very least, you’re aware of the countless movie and TV adaptations of her stories over the decades. When it comes to the author herself, how much do you know about Agatha Christie? Well, it turns out that her real-life involves a little mystery as well. Deadline has reported that Miramax TV has snapped the rights to Nina de Gramont’s The Christie Affair, a reimagining of the author’s real-life disappearance that was a huge story at the time.
Agatha Christie had discovered that her husband was having an affair, and when that knowledge became public, she vanished for eleven days. During that time, the press fueled mass speculation as thousands of police officers and volunteers searched for Christie. It’s said that Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle even consulted with a spirit medium in order to track her down. In the end, she was found in a hospital with no memory of what had happened.
The Christie Affair will be a limited series penned by Juliette Towhidi (Calendar Girls), but it won’t be focused on Agatha Christie herself. Instead, the reimagining will be told through the eyes of the mistress of Agatha’s husband, Nan O’Dea. “Agatha and Nan transform from competitors to unlikely allies while the world around them remains cloaked in the dark, unable to grasp the complexities of each woman’s relationship to her past and her female identity,” reads Deadline’s description. “Set mostly in the beautiful and historic British spa town of Harrogate, The Christie Affair is part sweeping love story– but not the one you expect — part exploration of the bonds of womanhood and part murder mystery to rival one of Christie’s own, now very famous stories.” In a statement, Marc Helwig, Head of Worldwide Television for Miramax TV, said:
Nina de Gramont has written an astonishingly smart, layered and immersive novel, delivering a fascinating glimpse into history, with the astounding and peculiar disappearance of Agatha Christie. This story is reminiscent of one of Christie’s enigmatic works, and we are thrilled to be collaborating with Juliette Towhidi and our partners at The Gotham Group in bringing this truly captivating murder mystery to the screen.
The Christie Affair won’t be published until February 1, 2022, but the release of the novel will be quickly followed by Death on the Nile, Kenneth Branagh’s sequel to Murder on the Orient Express. The film had been pushed back several times, but will now hit theaters on February 11, 2022.