Kenneth Branagh to direct and star in Murder on the Orient Express

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

This summer it was reported that Kenneth Branagh was in talks to direct an adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express" for Twentieth Century Fox. The studio has now confirmed that news, but not only will Kenneth Branagh be filling the directors chair, he'll also be starring in the film as famed detective Hercule Poirot. Michael Green (BLADE RUNNER 2) will be penning the script for the film.

The novel follows Poirot (who was featured in many Agatha Christie stories) as he investigates the murder of an American business tycoon on a train, only to find that there are a number of passengers who could potentially be the murderer. The story of "Murder on the Orient Express" has been adapted and referenced in many forms, but the last feature film adaptation of the story came in 1974 with a star-studded film which included Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Jacqueline Bisset, Sean Connery, John Gielgud, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Michael York, and others.

James Prichard, Chairman of Agatha Christie Ltd and Agatha Christie’s Great Grandson:

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.

Hilary Strong, Chief Executive Officer at Agatha Christie Ltd:

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.  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.

Assuming Branagh's adaptation will be as star-studded as the 1974 version, who would you like to see in this latest adaptation of "Murder on the Orient Express"?