We learned a while ago that Kenneth Branagh (Cinderella) is set to star in and direct a big screen adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, but the filmmaker may have now found a very impressive leading lady in the form of Angelina Jolie. She’s apparently circling the role of Mrs. Harriet Hubbard, a role filled by Lauren Bacall in the 1974 original.
The cast of that movie also included names like Sean Connery, Vanessa Redgrave, and Ingrid Bergman, so this version will have its work cut out to put together an equally impressive ensemble. This is a good start though, especially as Branagh is set to take on the role of intrepid detective detective Hercule Poirot (a role made iconic in the UK by David Suchet).
The story revolves around special detective Hercule Poirot, who boards a train from Jerusalem to Europe only to have a murder committed in the car next to his during a snowstorm. Poirot tries to discover the murderer or murderers before there’s another victim.
Shooting on Murder on the Orient Express begins in London this November, while a release date of November 22nd, 2017 has been set. It’s going to be interesting to see what this version of the well known tale can bring to the big screen, but with Branagh at the helm and Jolie set to take on a starring role, it shouldn’t have too much trouble generating interest.
