By the Sea director and star Angelina Jolie is on the verge of boarding Murder on the Orient Express, Fox and Kenneth Branagh’s long-anticipated remake.
Michael Green of Blade Runner 2 fame is attached to offer a modern spin on Agatha Christie’s cherished novel, following Belgian detective Hercule Poirot as he investigates the murder of a wealthy American tycoon, who is stabbed multiple times and left for dead in his opulent compartment. Stranded in the midst of a relentless snow storm in Croatia, Poirot wades through a sea of frightened passengers, eventually closing in on the guilty perpetrator aboard the titular, infamous train.
Ridley Scott, Simon Kinberg and Mark Gordon are among those attached to produce, while Variety reports that Michael Schaefer and Aditya Sood will also lend a helping hand in some capacity.
Christie’s taut thriller first graced the screen back in 1974, when esteemed filmmaker Sidney Lumet welcomed the likes of Lauren Bacall and Ingrid Bergman aboard the Orient Express. Almost three decades later, CBS adapted Murder on the Orient Express as a television series. Fast forward to 2016 and, three years after the remake was first hatched at Fox, the studio is now close to landing its first leading star.
No word yet on when Kenneth Branagh will stage the Murder on the Orient Express, but we’ll keep you posted if and when more information comes to light. Angelina Jolie, meanwhile, is reportedly in the process of agreeing terms to reprise her title role for Maleficent 2.
