Hercule Poirot and his fabulous facial hair are back in this first trailer for Death on the Nile. 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh, was a huge success and now the actor/filmmaker is following it up with another adaptation of one of Agatha Christie’s bestselling novels. What made the first one such a hit was its sense of style and the star-studded cast and this trailer promises that the sequel won’t let us down in those departments, either.
Death on the Nile sees murder afoot on a ship full of high-society socialites touring the Egyptian river. At the center of the mystery is a steamy love affair between Gal Gadot and Armie Hammer’s characters which appears to have angered everyone on board. As well as Branagh, Gadot and Hammer, the cast list is full of familiar faces including Annette Bening (Captain Marvel), Letitia Wright (Black Panther), Sophie Okonedo (Hellboy), Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones), Emma Mackey (Sex Education) and Russell Brand, in what looks to be an unusually dramatic role for him.
Here’s the official synopsis, teasing “wicked twists and turns”:
“Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot’s Egyptian vacation aboard a glamorous river steamer turns into a terrifying search for a murderer when a picture-perfect couple’s idyllic honeymoon is tragically cut short. Set against an epic landscape of sweeping desert vistas and the majestic Giza pyramids, this tale of unbridled passion and incapacitating jealousy features a cosmopolitan group of impeccably dressed travelers, and enough wicked twists and turns to leave audiences guessing until the final, shocking denouement.”
If this follow-up proves to be as successful as the first film, then it’s possible more Poirot movies could come after it. After all, Branagh has previously spoken about his belief that an Agatha Christie cinematic universe could be formed, given the wealth of material the author created, and these pics do seem to have a winning formula of mid-level budget + familiar intellectual property = lots of cash. But we’ll have to wait and see how this one pans out. Especially in these confusing times for the movie industry.
Death on the Nile, releasing through the rebranded 20th Century Studios, is set to hit theaters on October 23rd, just a few weeks after another Gadot vehicle, Warner Bros.’ much-delayed Wonder Woman 1984.
