Mustache enthusiast Kenneth Branagh to make third Poirot movie

Despite the lackluster box office and response to Death On The Nile, Branagh isn’t hanging up the mustache just yet

By Matt Schimkowitz  |  October 10, 2022 | 11:29pm
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Mustache enthusiast Kenneth Branagh to make third Poirot movie
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Kenneth Branagh Screenshot: 20th Century Studios

Kenneth Branagh’s combing those whiskers, packing his mustache guards, and heading to Venice. Announced today, the Oscar-nominated director will return to the Christie-verse with A Haunting In Venice, another mustache-centric Poirot mystery that follows Death On The Nile.

A Haunting In Venice isn’t shaking up the formula. Branagh’s bringing in an international ensemble to act against his ridiculous mouth bristles. Inspired by Christie’s “Hallowe’en Party,” Branagh’s latest will reteam the director with his Belfast stars Jamie Dornan and Jude Hill, as well as Tina Fey, Michelle Yeoh, Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Ali Khan, Emma Laird, Kelly Reilly, and Riccardo Scamarico.

“This is a fantastic development of the character Hercule Poirot, as well as the Agatha Christie franchise,” Branagh said. “Based on a complex, little-known tale of mystery set at Halloween in a pictorially ravishing city, it is an amazing opportunity for us, as filmmakers, and we are relishing the chance to deliver something truly spine-chilling for our loyal movie audiences.”

The Hallowe’en Party follows a retired Poirot, who reluctantly attends a Halloween seance at a haunted palazzo. Here’s where things get weird. Poirot is lured out of retirement after, get this, one of the party guests is murdered. No one is safe at a party attended by Hercule Poirot.

Now that it’s been out long enough to be the go-to plane movie for anyone looking to conk out on a cross-country flight, Death On The Nile can be acknowledged as a film released. For a long time, it seemed as though we’d never find out what happened after Murder On The Orient Express, but Branagh returned with an origin story for that beefy mustache of his.

Death On The Nile was, by all accounts, a disaster to release. Delayed by the pandemic, the film was further mired by numerous public relations nightmares, including the Armie Hammer scandal, which found itself right in the middle of the film’s release. Thankfully, that was enough cover for fellow co-stars star Letitia White and Russell Brand to share some vaccine skepticism.

The movie didn’t fare much better upon release. The film mainly received mixed-negative reviews and made $130 million at the worldwide box office. With a reported budget of $90 million, that’s not a great return. But its poor box office could be blamed on several things, including the pandemic or the abuse allegations against Armie Hammer, so maybe 20th Century Studios called a mulligan. Nevertheless, Branagh did say he wanted to make a Christie Cinematic Universe, and so movies there shall be.

Production will begin in November as 20th Century Studios aims for a theatrical release in 2023.

[via Variety]

 
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