The Big Picture
The upcoming film adaptation of Agatha Christie’s work, A Haunting in Venice, takes a spooky turn as detective Hercule Poirot faces a supernatural foe. Kenneth Branagh reprises his role as Poirot and also directs the film while producing it alongside other renowned names in the industry. The franchise takes a departure into the paranormal to keep things fresh and attract a different audience while hoping to surprise and delight viewers.
A Haunting in Venice is the latest big screen adaptation of acclaimed writer Agatha Christie’s work, following 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express and last year’s Gal Gadot-starring Death on the Nile. However, for this next installment into the ACCU (that’s, of course, the Agatha Christie Cinematic Universe) things are taking an unexpectedly spooky turn, as the upcoming film sees world-famous detective Hercule Poirot faced with a seemingly supernatural foe. As a new image from the film has been released, producer James Prichard has shared why taking the franchise in a new direction felt like the necessary thing to do.
The newly released look at the film shows Kenneth Branagh back on the case as professional super sleuth Poirot, though this time his expert detective skills will only help him so much, as the upcoming film adapts Christie’s classic novel Hallowe’en Party. Set on the spookiest night of the year, following the conclusion of World War II, the story will see Poirot leave his self-imposed exile/retirement in order to investigate a new case in Italy, following reports of peculiar events. There, the detective will be met by a séance and a medium, as he finds himself in new, supernatural territory.
Not only does Branagh star in the project, but also takes the reins as director, while also producing alongside Judy Hofflund, Ridley Scott, and Simon Kinberg. Prichard, who worked on the film as an executive producer, spoke with Total Film magazine about the franchise’s new paranormal direction; “If we are going to continue to make these films, we can’t do the same thing over and over,” Prichard said. “A departure at this moment is possibly risky, but it also has the potential to keep it alive, bring in a different audience, and do something interesting that will hopefully surprise and delight.”
Image via 20th Century Studios
What’s Next for the Franchise?
The film’s screenplay was written by Michael Green, who returns having penned the script for the series’ previous two films. While those movies were met with a mixed reception from critics, Branagh and Green have cracked a winning formula, with both Death on the Nile and Murder on the Orient Express proving to fare better with audiences.
As for the future of the franchise, that apparently all rests in the hands of Branagh, as Prichard added “If Ken wants to do more, and Michael wants to write more, we’ll certainly do another. There’s a lot of material still to go, so we’re not going to run out of inspiration.” Joining Branagh in the film’s star-studded cast is Kelly Reilly, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, and Michelle Yeoh.
A Haunting in Venice will hit theaters on September 15. Check out the newly released image below:
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