Murder on the Orient Express is a 2017 film adapted from Agatha Christie's novel of the same name. The film is directed by Kenneth Branagh and stars Branagh as Hercule Poirot. The film also features an ensemble supporting cast including Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Derek Jacobi, Josh Gad, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, and Olivia Colman, with Leslie Odom Jr., Tom Bateman, Lucy Boynton, Marwan Kenzari, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and Sergei Polunin.
The film is the fourth screen adaptation of Christie's novel, following the 1974 film, the 2001 TV Movie, and a 2010 episode of the Poirot TV Series.
It's one of the few movies in recent decades to have used 65 mm film cameras. The Film had its world premiere on November 2, 2017, at Royal Albert Hall in London, and was released in the UK on November 3, 2017, and in the US on November 10, 2017, by 20th Century Fox.
The film grossed over $351 million worldwide but received a mixed critical reaction. Whilst praise was given to the acting and production design, it was generally felt that it didn't add much new material compared to previous versions. A sequel, adapted from Death on the Nile, is scheduled for an February 11, 2022 release.
Comparison with original book[]
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Characters[]
- The film has a composite character, combining Dr Constantine and Colonel John Arbuthnot into Dr. Arbuthnot.
Plot[]
- Poirot borrows equipment from the railway workers to recover the message from the burnt note and does not use frames from hat boxes. The message recovered is slightly different. In the original it says "...member little Daisy Armstrong...." Here it says "...A...S...A...STRONG...BLOOD IS ON...HANDS YOU WILL DIE"
Cast[]
- Paapa Essiedu as Young Policeman
- Yassine Zeroual as Young Boy
- Asan N'Jie as Hotel Waiter
- Michael Rouse as British Police Chief Inspector
- Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot
- Elliot Levey as Rabbi
- David Annen as Priest
- Joseph Long as Imam
- Andy Apollo as Armed Policeman
- Hadley Fraser as British Military Escort
- Daisy Ridley as Miss Mary Debenham
- Leslie Odom Jr as Dr Arbuthnot
- Ziad Abaza as Arab Shipmate
- Nari Blair-Mangat as Waiter
- Luke Brady as Waiter
- Miltos Yerolemou as Old Turk Baker
- Tom Bateman as Bouc
- Kathryn Wilder as Prostitute
- Gerard Horan as Aynesworth
- Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Biniamino Marquez
- Penélope Cruz as Pilar Estravados
- Richard Clifford as Maître d'
- Josh Gad as Hector MacQueen
- Johnny Depp as Samuel Ratchett
- Sir Derek Jacobi as Edward Henry Masterman
- Sid Sagar as Sleeping Car Attendant
- Sergei Polunin as Count Rudolph Andrenyi
- Adam Garcia as Italian Fan
- Lucy Boynton as Countess Helena Andrenyi
- Marwan Kenzari as Pierre Michel
- Michelle Pfeiffer as Caroline Hubbard
- Harry Lister Smith as Stockman
- Darryl Clark as Salon Barman
- Anoushka Lucas as as Pianist
- Matthew Hawksley as Waiter
- Crispin Letts as as Head Waiter
- Yasmin Harrison as Dining Car Sous Chef
- Kate Tydman as Chef
- Dame Judi Dench as Princess Dragomiroff
- Olivia Colman as Hildegarde Schmidt
- Willem Dafoe as Gerhard Hardman
- Pip Jordan as Kitchen Car Sous Chef
- Chris Porter as Station Master
- Jack Riddiford as Police Captain
- Joshua Lacey as Track Foreman
- Phil Dunster as Colonel John Armstrong
- Miranda Raison as Sonia Armstrong
- Ansu Kabia as Police Captain (Newsreel)
- Hayat Kamille as Susanne
- Rami Nasr as McQueen's Father
- Todd Boyce as Judge
- Irfan Shamji as Yugoslavian Police Officer
- Tom Hanson as British Military Officer
Gallery[]