It was more than a year and a half ago that 20th Century Fox first announced that it had acquired film rights to the iconic mystery novel Murder on the Orient Express. Now, the studio’s big screen adaptation appears to have found a director! The Wrap reports that Thor and Cinderella helmer Kenneth Branagh has entered talks to helm the the Agatha Christie classic!
With more than two billion books sold, Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time, and Murder on the Orient Express is one of her most popular novels. The 1934 novel features her internationally renowned detective, Hercule Poirot, investigating a murder on the Orient Express.
Murder on the Orient Express was previously made into a 1974 film directed by Sidney Lumet. The film received six Oscar nominations, including best actor for Albert Finney as Poirot, and winning best supporting actress for Ingrid Bergman. The all-star cast of suspects also featured Lauren Bacall, Jacqueline Bisset, Colin Blakely, Sean Connery, John Gielgud, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave and Michael York.
Additionally, David Suchet portrayed the popular Belgian detective in all 70 television adaptations of Christie’s Poirot stories, including Murder on the Orient Express in 2010.
Ridley Scott, Mark Gordon and Simon Kinberg are all attached to produce with Michael Green, the scribe behind the upcoming Blade Runner sequel, attached to provide the screenplay.
