(L to R) Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman wil star in ‘The Seven Dials Mystery’. Photo: Netflix.
Preview:
Helena Bonham Carter, Martin Freeman and Mia McKenna-Bruce will star in ‘The Seven Dials Mystery’.
‘Broadchurch’ and ‘Doctor Who’ writer Chris Chibnall adapted the series.
Netflix is backing the show.
The murder mystery genre is one of those evergreen sources for movies and TV, and Agatha Christie is one of the major players in that field (despite, you know being dead since 1976). Her work is consistently adapted –– probably most famously currently for the Poirot movies starring and directed by Kenneth Branagh.
But TV has usually been seen as the natural home for work based on the writer’s iconic books, and Netflix is looking to get in on that action with a new show based on ‘The Seven Dials Mystery’, which will star Helena Bonham Carter, Martin Freeman (already well versed in the mystery genre thanks to ‘Sherlock’) and up-and-coming young star Mia McKenna-Bruce, who got a big break with last year’s movie drama ‘How to Have Sex’.
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What’s the story of ‘The Seven Dials Mystery’?
Mia McKenna-Bruce in ‘The Seven Dials Mystery’. Photo: Netflix.
First published in 1929, Christie’s tome is set in England in 1925. At a lavish country house party, a practical joke appears to have gone horribly, murderously wrong.
It will be up to the unlikeliest of sleuths –– the fizzingly inquisitive Lady Eileen ‘Bundle’ Brent (Bruce) –– to unravel a chilling plot that will change her life, cracking wide open the country house mystery.
Carter is playing Lady Caterham and Freeman will be a police officer named Battle.
Who is making ‘The Seven Dials Mystery’?
Jamie Dornan in HBO Max’s ‘The Tourist.’
The new series comes from Chris Chibnall, who previously created and wrote crime drama series ‘Broadchurch’ before moving on to run ‘Doctor Who’ for a few years.
And producing is Suzanne Mackie, who worked at Left Bank Pictures on ‘The Crown’ and formed her own production company, Orchid Pictures in 2020.
Chris Sweeney (‘The Tourist‘) is aboard to direct the series.
‘The Seven Dials Mystery’: The Cast and Creators Talk
Mia McKenna-Bruce wil star in ‘The Seven Dials Mystery’. Photo: Netflix.
Here’s what Mia McKenna-Bruce said about the show:
“Chris Chibnall’s scripts are brilliant, and I am thrilled to be part of this new interpretation of the iconic Agatha Christie’s storytelling.”
And here’s producer Mackie commenting:
“I am excited to be bringing ‘The Seven Dials Mystery’ to life, and to be introducing a new generation of iconic Christie characters to the screen. It has been a joy to work with Chris Chibnall in creating this bold, authored, and ambitious vision for the series. Together with Chris Sussman and Agatha Christie Limited and, under the masterful direction of Chris Sweeney, we are thrilled to embark on this creative journey. I could not think of a more exciting first project for Orchid Pictures, or a more perfect home for this story than Netflix.”
When will ‘The Seven Dials Mystery’ be on Netflix?
The series is now shooting, so the streaming service has yet to reveal a release date.
Martin Freeman as Jonathan Miller in the Psychological Thriller film, ‘Miller’s Girl,’ a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with David Jonsson and Morfydd Clark about their work on ‘Murder Is Easy,’ being part of an Agatha Christie mystery, their characters, the story, and changes that were made to the source material.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
(L to R) Morfydd Clark and Tom Riley in ‘Murder is Easy.’ Photo: BritBox.
Moviefone: To begin with, Morfydd, were you an Agatha Christie fan before joining this project and what was it like for you to be in one of her mysteries?
Morfydd Clark: Yeah, pretty much. I was so excited to be asked to be in an Agatha Christie. I’d grown up watching them, listened to lots of the books and just found the world she creates funny. I love a murder mystery that also isn’t too terrifying. I think that the way she writes people is brutal in that she really homes in on people’s flaws and weirdness. There’s nowhere to hide when an Agatha Christie detective is looking at you. You know Poirot, Miss Marple, Luke Fitzwilliam, they really see the core of people. That’s something that’s quite fascinating and can be quite confronting as well as a reader if you recognize yourself in certain wild behaviors. But also, they’re unrealistic in the fact because I mean, there’s serial killers in every kind of little English town in the Agatha Christie world, which is quite a high stress, and exciting way to live.
MF: David, what was your relationship to Christie’s work before becoming part of this project?
David Jonsson: It’s more the fact that I think Agatha Christie is amazing. She’s a kind of a British institution. She’s an incredible writer who’s made an immense amount of great works, kind of like Shakespeare. But for me, the role is everything. So, it’s kind of got all the check marks and I think this one was scary in the way that I like it to be.
David Jonsson in ‘Murder is Easy.’ Photo: BritBox.
MF: David, what were some of the aspects of this character that you were excited to explore on screen?
DJ: Well, I guess on paper he’s a young black policeman who works in the force, and who comes over to solve a crime, I guess. That’s never happened in Agatha Christie history, playing the first black lead. So that comes with a big amount of responsibility, but also a big amount of invention and fun to be had. It was just about striking the balance between that and hopefully somewhere in the middle finding the truth, which was fun in the end.
MF: Morfydd, is fun being in an Agatha Christie mystery?
MC: Yeah, for sure. It feels like as an actor, your kind of stepping into a genre of itself. We are lucky, me and David, that we worked with lots of very funny actors. Also, we were lucky to work with people like Penelope Wilton. There’s a huge age range also in Agatha Christie, which is fascinating, and I love.
(L to R) Penelope Wilton and David Jonsson in ‘Murder is Easy.’ Photo: BritBox.
MF: David, your character takes over trying to solve the mystery when Miss Pinkerton is no longer able, can you talk about why he does that?
DJ: Well, I think he’s just doing the right thing. I feel like Luke has got a very strong moral code, and that’s kind of sometimes alien, isn’t it? When a lot of people think about themselves. I think he’s quite selfless in that scenario, which kind of drives a lot of his character.
MF: How does Luke’s friends feel about him going to this village and then once he gets there, how is he treated by the people there?
DJ: Well, I guess it’s all in retrospect, isn’t it? On the way to the village, he’s only got one thing in mind, which is just to kind of help and report this murder. Then when he gets there, it’s a completely different thing, isn’t it? Which is I think a lot of the black experience generally. What I find quite incredible about this one is the parallels between 1950s Britain and today. A lot has changed, but we’ve still got a long way to go. I think that’s cool about this one, because it’s maybe a bit more polarized than some of the other Agatha Christie books.
David Jonsson in ‘Murder is Easy.’ Photo: BritBox.
MF: Morfydd, can you talk about Bridget’s reaction to Luke when she first meets him?
MC: Well, I think they kind of have quite an instant connection. They understand each other quite deeply, quite quickly on a certain level, but also in lots of ways, they are worlds apart. I think that Bridget, the rest of her life, she’ll have been a much better person having met him. I think she learns a lot during this state of murders and meeting Fitzwilliam.
MF: Finally, Morfydd, how would you describe Bridget in your own words?
MC: She’s no fool. She’s not wealthy, and she doesn’t have a huge number of prospects because she’s a woman in the ‘50s, the ‘60s haven’t happened yet. She’s limited, and so she finds herself a kind of tamable rich man. That’s the best option, and she does it well. Luke really kind of opens her eyes, I guess.
(L to R) Mark Bonnar and Mathew Baynton in ‘Murder is Easy.’ Photo: BritBox.
What is the Plot of ‘Murder Is Easy’?
Luke Fitzwilliam (David Jonsson) is a Nigerian attaché on his way to Whitehall when he meets the mysterious Miss Pinkerton (Penelope Wilton) on a train. Pinkerton discusses with him that a series of deaths in the village of Wynchwood-Under-Ashe are not accidental and there’s a killer on the loose. Later, Miss Pinkerton is also found dead, and Fitzwilliam steels himself to discover the murderer before he strikes again.
The third installment in the Agatha Christie movies takes a chilling turn in ‘A Haunting in Venice’. Actor and director Kenneth Branagh returns to helm the film and reprise his role of the famed mustache detective, Hercule Poirot.
The movie is based on Christie’s novel ‘Hallowe’en Party’ and will be available on streaming and digital just in time for Halloween. While these murder mystery novels are often accompanied by a sense of suspense and horror, ‘A Haunting In Venice’ leans straight into the horror theme by placing the murder inside a haunted palazzo.
Releasing on Halloween means the film will just make the Huluween line-up at the end of its celebration. Additionally, ‘A Haunting In Venice’ will also be available to rent or purchase on digital on the same day.
Branagh teams up once again with cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos (‘Death on the Nile’, ‘The Orient Express’). In an interview with Collider, the British cinematographer expands on why they made the switch from filming on 70 millimeter to digital, “There were a lot of photographic characteristics that we wanted to maintain in the Poirot films. One was a certain kind of clarity, the other is a sense of depth of field.” he explains.
“One of the things that I think makes the intimacy of the portraiture that we have used on previous Poirot films is that we work at a slightly higher depth of field than most films, T4. Not ‘Citizen Kane‘ levels, but just enough that a face and its features are all in focus. So, we wanted to shoot with a large format lens camera system that was in the highest sensitivity to light, and that was the Sony Venice 2. Those photographic elements were more important than the analog versus digital – that we were able to shoot at low-light levels but with our preferred depth of field. Those were the choices behind shooting this with a digital camera.”
‘A Haunting In Venice’ held its world premiere at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square at the West End London on September 11th. It was released domestically on September 15, 2023, and is still available in theaters if you want to experiment it in standard format or in IMAX. ‘A Haunting In Venice’ has a total runtime of 1 hour and 44 minutes.
Watch the official trailers for ‘A Haunting In Venice’ below:
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The movie will be available on digital on October 31 on major platforms such as Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, YouTube, and Google Play for rent or purchase.
The official synopsis for ‘A Haunting In Venice’ is below:
Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) has retired from detective work and has moved to Italy to live a quiet life. His peace is interrupted when old friend and novelist Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) stops by and insists he attends a séance on Halloween in order to expose a psychic named Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh). However, when a murder occurs, Poirot vows to catch the killer within the haunted palazzo.
Who Is In The Cast of ‘A Haunting In’?
Kenneth Branagh (‘Dunkirk‘) as detective Hercule Poirot
Following the events of ‘Death on the Nile,’ the world’s greatest detective, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh), has retired and is now living a quiet life in Italy. One day he is visited by his old friend and mystery novelist Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey), who invites him to a séance on Halloween to expose a fraudulent psychic named Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh). But when someone if murdered, Poirot vows to catch the killer.
‘A Haunting in Venice’ feels more like an epilogue than an actual third installment but is still a fairly entertaining yet predictable mystery movie. Kenneth Branagh gives another good performance as Hercule Poirot but the film never really seems to come together as a whole. The new supporting cast create interesting foils for Poirot, but ultimately, the mystery is not that hard for the audience to solve.
The movie begins by introducing us to an older and weathered Hercule Poirot (Branagh), who is now retired from detective work and living a quiet life in Italy. One day he is visited by his old friend, an American mystery novelist named Ariadne Oliver (Fey), who’s most popular literary character is based on Poirot himself. Oliver invites Poirot to a séance on Halloween night at the house of the wealthy Rowena Drake (Reilly), who recently lost her daughter in a tragic accident. The séance is being conducted by a medium named Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh). Oliver believes she is the real deal and wants to base her next novel on her, but needs Poirot, ever the skeptic, to witness her work and confirm she’s for real.
Poirot is not impressed by Reynolds, and confirms his suspicions but is then attacked by an unknown assailant. Not long after, one of the guests is murdered and with a storm closing the canals, the remaining guests are trapped in Drake’s house, presumably with the killer, and with nowhere else to go. While waiting for the weather to clear, Poirot begins to investigate and questions everyone, including Oliver, Drake, her doctor, Dr. Leslie Ferrier (Jamie Dornan), and his young son, Leopold Ferrier (Jude Hill).
I enjoyed both of Branagh’s other Agatha Christie movies, ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ and ‘Death on the Nile,’ but ‘A Haunting in Venice’ lacks the scope or style of its predecessors. It feels rushed, truncated and lacking of any real purpose. In fact, Branagh’s performance is really the only bright spot in the movie, which is otherwise tedious. But as a director, Branagh adds no style or freshness to the movie. It’s pretty much a paint-by-numbers mystery, and nothing is added to make that more sophisticated or cinematic. The first two movies benefited from the exotic locations which Branagh shot in an epic manner, but the director does not utilize his backdrop here, as most scenes take place at night, in the rain, or inside.
The only saving grace ‘Haunting’ offers is Branagh’s solid performance as Poirot. After three movies the actor really has the character down, and it helps that we as an audience have embraced him in this role. In this outing, Branagh explores Poirot’s age and his passion for life after spending so much of it surrounded by death. This Poirot is older, weathered, and questioning himself, maybe for the first time in his life, and it’s an interesting juxtaposition for the character. Also this time around, Branagh wisely chose to cut back Poirot’s signature mustache just a bit, which doesn’t affect the character or the performance, but is a little less distracting than in the previous films.
This is where the movie starts to fall apart, and it’s not the fault of the actors, who are all very good, but their characters are either poorly written or not fleshed out enough. Now some may not care for Tina Fey’s performance as Ariadne Oliver, as she is basically doing a Katherine Hepburn impression, but I actually thought the characterization fit well considering the movie’s 1940’s setting. Oliver is feisty and smart, and a good companion to Poirot, and Fey has nice chemistry with Branagh. However, without giving anything away, a twist in the third act renders the character unreliable.
Jude Hill, who was last seen in Branagh’s Oscar-winning ‘Belfast,’ gives a good performance as the precocious Leopold Ferrier and has strong chemistry with Jamie Dornan, who once again plays his father as he did in ‘Belfast.’ As Dr. Leslie Ferrier, Dornan is solid and plays a man with PTSD well, but the character is not given enough to do and is basically used as a red herring to the mystery.
Recent Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh has a few fun scenes as the psychic Joyce Reynolds, but again, is really not given a lot to do. You don’t really get a chance to know the character or understand her motivations in her limited screentime, and again, it’s a shame the character was used as a bit of a red herring. It was nice to see ‘Yellowstone’ actress Kelly Reilly return to the big screen, and while the actress plays the role to the best of her abilities, the character was terribly written and weakens the mystery at the core of the story.
The real problem with ‘A Haunting in Venice’ is that the mystery is too predictable and easy to solve. While there was a bit of a twist in the third act, I knew who the killer was from the beginning and it just seemed too obvious. While the previous movies had third act twists as well, they seemed fresh and original at the time and this one just feels like we’ve seen it before.
While ‘A Haunting in Venice’ is a serviceable and entertaining enough movie that includes another fine performance by Branagh as Poirot, it lacks the fun and urgency of the previous films and features an extremely predictable mystery at its core.
‘A Haunting in Venice’ receives 5 out of 10 stars.
‘A Haunting in Venice’ is produced by 20th Century Studios, Scott Free Productions, The Mark Gordon Company, and Genre Films. It is set to release in theaters on September 15th, 2023.
While ‘Death on the Nile’ suffered from mixed reviews and relatively quiet box office, 20th Century Studios seems eager to stay in business with producer/director/star Kenneth Branagh, who has been busy setting up his next Agatha Christie adaptation.
With Michael Green – who wrote both ‘Death’ and ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ for the filmmaker – once again cranking out the script, Branagh is ready to make ‘A Haunting in Venice’ as his next film.
The story this time, as opposed to sticking with the book’s title, adapts Christie’s 1969 novel ‘Hallowe’en Party’.
Set in post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve, ‘A Haunting in Venice’ is described as a terrifying mystery featuring the return of the celebrated sleuth, Hercule Poirot. Now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the world’s most glamorous city, Poirot reluctantly attends a séance at a decaying, haunted palazzo. When one of the guests is murdered, the detective is thrust into a sinister world of shadows and secrets.
Naturally, Branagh and his epic (albeit fake) mustache will be back as Poirot, delving into another mystery. And he has, in keeping with the other two movies, assembled an impressive, eclectic ensemble.
Partly, ‘A Haunting in Venice’ will serve as a ‘Belfast’ reunion for the director, since he’s cast Jamie Dornan (who played a version of his father in the nostalgic, Oscar-winning drama) and Jude Hill (the young actor bringing to life a character based on Branagh’s own youth).
“This is a fantastic development of the character Hercule Poirot, as well as the Agatha Christie franchise,” Branagh enthuses. “Based on a complex, little known tale of mystery set at Halloween in a pictorially ravishing city, it is an amazing opportunity for us, as filmmakers, and we are relishing the chance to deliver something truly spine-chilling for our loyal movie audiences.”
“We are enormously privileged to continue our long collaboration with the incomparable Sir Kenneth Branagh and couldn’t be more excited by the bold new creative direction Ken, Michael, and the rest of the filmmaking team have taken with this latest film,” says 20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell. “We also remain grateful to James Prichard and the rest of our friends at Agatha Christie, Ltd., for their partnership and for once again entrusting us with, as Poirot modestly calls himself, ‘probably the greatest detective in the world.’”
The director will start the cameras rolling on possibly the most suitable date possible – October 31, with shooting scheduled for Pinewood Studios outside London and on location in Venice.
No exact date has been announced, but ‘A Haunting in Venice’ should be scaring audiences in theaters next year.
The movie begins with the origin story of Hercule Poirot (Branagh), which explains why he sports such a large mustache. We then see him years later at a jazz club, where he witnesses a romance between Jacqueline (Mackey) and Simon (Hammer), and Simon’s first meeting with Jacqueline’s friend, heiress Linnet Ridgeway- Doyle (Gadot).
We next find the detective, sometime after the events of ‘Orient Express,’ vacationing alone in Egypt. He quickly bumps into his old friend Bouc (Bateman), and his mother (Bening), who are there for the wedding of a friend. Poirot’s friend invites him to the celebration, and the detective is surprised to find that the newlyweds are Simon and Linnet, who he observed from a far when they first met.
Trouble begins when Linnet’s old friend and Simon’s jilted lover, Jacqueline arrives on the scene. Linnet and Simon ask Poirot to intervene, but since she has committed no crime, there is nothing he can do. In order to get away from Jacqueline, Linnet hires a ship to take her and her guests down the Nile. Poirot joins the party, but when a murder takes place, and everyone is a suspect, the detective will have no choice but to do what he does best … solve the crime!
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After a decade of directing studio blockbusters like ‘Thor,’ ‘Cinderella,’ ‘Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit,’ and ‘Murder on the Orient Express,’ Branagh was finally able to make his passion project, ‘Belfast.’ The film was critically acclaimed and has recently gone on to be nominated for several Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director for Branagh. ‘Death on the Nile’ was shot in 2019, before ‘Belfast,’ and was delayed because of the pandemic. While his new film can’t compare to the brilliance of ‘Belfast,’ it is a serviceable murder mystery and an enjoyable movie, with a very entertaining cast and a really great performance from Branagh himself.
Hercule Poirot is a classic literary character and a difficult role to play, as it is easy for an actor to get lost behind that mustache, as Branagh did a bit in ‘Orient Express.’ But by showing the character’s origin story, while also explaining why he lives a solitary life, it makes the character more relatable to the audience. Branagh is also more comfortable in his role this time around, and really commands the screen every scene he’s in. It was also really smart to bring back Tom Bateman as Bouc, which not only bridges Branagh’s two Agatha Christie movies, but also gives Poirot a confidant and someone to care about.
The supporting cast are all very good in their roles, especially Annette Bening as Bouc’s overbearing mother. English comedians Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French are very funny as a socialite and her nurse, while Russell Brand gives a very against-type performance as the quiet and vulnerable Linus, Linnet’s former fiancé. Actress Emma Mackay gives an outstanding breakout performance as Jaqueline, and based on her work, I think we’ll be seeing a lot of great things from the ‘Sex Education’ actress in the future.
But outside of Branagh’s performance as Poirot, the film really belongs to Gal Gadot. She is absolutely stunning in the film and commands her scenes with grace and power. She plays Linnet as a kind soul with too much money at her disposal, forcing her to trust no one. This can make the character a bit cold at times, but Gadot’s performance is never unlikable. In one of her best scenes, Gadot does not say a word, just simply walks the length of the ship while sailing on the Nile. Beautifully shot by Branagh, this scene tells us everything we need to know about the character.
While it may be a better movie pound-for-pound than ‘Orient Express,’ ‘Nile’ is not without its faults. The film allows more time for character development, especially with Poirot, which is great, but it also means that the “mystery” really doesn’t begin until halfway through the movie. There is a lot of set up. Necessary of course, but perhaps it could have been streamlined a bit.
Unfortunately, even if you’ve never read an Agatha Christie book or seen an adaption before, her work is so baked into our culture now, her mysteries can be very predictable. Without reading the novel or seeing the 1978 movie, I knew who the killer was almost as soon as the murder took place. I just know how Agatha Christie mysteries work, which is the biggest problem with the film. But in the end, thanks to Branagh’s performance, as well as Gadot and the supporting cast, ultimately ‘Death on the Nile’ is still an entertaining movie.
This fall, Kenneth Branagh returns as the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in the latest adaptation of Agatha Christie’s iconic mystery ‘Death on the Nile.’ And in case you were wondering, yes, Branagh has also returned to direct this film after havign directed 2017’s ‘Murder on the Orient Express.’
And like Branagh’s first outing as Poirot, this new film has no shortage of stars in various roles, including Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Annette Bening, Russell Brand, and Letitia Wright, just to name a few.
Here’s the official synopsis:
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. “Death on the Nile” reunites the filmmaking team behind 2017’s global hit “Murder on the Orient Express,” and stars five-time Academy Award® nominee Kenneth Branagh as the iconic detective Hercule Poirot. He is joined by an all-star cast of suspects, including: Tom Bateman, four-time Oscar® nominee Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Ali Fazal, Dawn French, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo, Jennifer Saunders and Letitia Wright.
‘Death on the Nile’ will open in theaters on October 23.
Branagh will be reprising his role of master detective Hercule Poirot from last year’s hit “Murder on the Orient Express.” He’ll also be in the director’s chair once again.
If Gadot signs on the dotted line, she’ll be playing Linnet Doyle, who is newly married to a former friend’s ex-fiancée, according to THR. That love triangle is the center of the Christie novel, which was first published in 1937.
The character was played by Bond girl Lois Chiles in the 1978 film, in which Peter Ustinov played Poirot.
Per THR, Michael Green, who adapted the screenplay for “Orient Express,” is writing the script.
An equally star-studded cast will likely be announced soon for the film, which already has a release date: November 25, 2019.
