Angelina Jolie is reportedly in talks with Fox to star in the newest adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1934 novel Murder On The Orient Express, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Assuming negotiations pan out, the actor-filmmaker will be playing Mrs. Harriet Belinda Hubbard, an American socialite who finds herself among an assemblage of travelers who may or may not be responsible for the death of a wealthy businessman enroute from Istanbul to Paris. Other possible members of the sprawling ensemble cast—including whomever is lucky enough to play Hercule Poirot, the fastidious Belgian detective at the heart of the story—have not yet been announced.
Kenneth Branagh will be directing from a screenplay by Michael Green (Green Lantern). Production is scheduled (pronounced “shed-yooled”) to begin in London this November before eventually relocating to Malta. Fox is currently planning a November 22, 2017 release date for the period thriller.
Christie’s classic mystery novel has already been adapted at least four times for the screen, with Sidney Lumet’s 1974 being the most celebrated. That time around, the role of Hubbard went to Lauren Bacall, with Albert Finney taking the lead role. Other cast members included John Gielgud, Sean Connery, and Ingrid Bergman, who took home an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the Swedish missionary Miss Greta Ohlsson.
