Death on the Nile
Kenneth Branagh returns in his role as the incomparable Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in the upcoming murder mystery film Death on the Nile, which follows up 2017’s fantastic Murder on the Orient Express. Branagh once again takes up the directing chair of the latest adaptation of one of Agatha Christie’s classic novels. The screenplay is written by Michael Green, whose previous writing credits include Smallville (2001-2002), Logan (2017) and the aforementioned Murder on the Orient Express.
Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot's Egyptian vacation aboard a glamorous river steamer turns into a terrifying search for a murderer when a picture-perfect couple's idyllic honeymoon is tragically cut short. Set against an epic landscape of sweeping desert vistas and the majestic Giza pyramids, this tale of unbridled passion and incapacitating jealousy features a cosmopolitan group of impeccably dressed travellers, and enough wicked twists and turns to leave audiences guessing until the final, shocking dénouement.
As with Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile boasts an impressive ensemble cast, including Gal Gadot (Knight and Day - 2010, Wonder Woman - 2017), Armie Hammer (Free Fire - 2016), Rebecca - 2020), Annette Bening (American Beauty - 1999, Danny Collins - 2015), Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones - 2012-2014) and Adam Garcia (Coyote Ugly - 2000), to name but a few.
With Murder on the Orient Express, the ending differed from the novel, with Branagh stating that ‘the change was absolutely the only way a contemporary audience would accept a story like this today.’ Now, I’ll be honest, I have never read the novel, so I’m not sure how it originally ended anyway. I’ve always assumed that the ending would be altered so that people that were familiar with Agatha Christie’s novels would get to see a fresh take, which remains loyal to the book to a point but throws them for a loop in the final act. That being said, I could be completely wrong. To that end, I suspect that the writing of Death on the Nile will probably follow suit and shake things up a bit, for whatever the reason. I have seen previous adaptations of this novel but I can’t claim to remember the outcome, so it will be a pleasant surprise, whatever happens.
Whatever they plan to do with it, I’m pretty sure that we are in for some great viewing. I really enjoyed Murder on the Orient Express. It’s easily one of (if not) my favourite Christie adaptations and I’m pretty excited to get on board.
Death on the Nile is due for release in cinemas on October 9, 2020.