'Murder on the Orient Express' breathes new cinematic life into Agatha Christie
Despite a rich pedigree in print, film and television, Brannagh’s film represents something of a cinematic resurrection for Christie’s work, with the most recent previous cinematic adaptation being 1985’s “Ordeal by Innocence.”
“It’s been 30 years, I guess, since we’ve had a proper cinema film,” said James Prichard, Christie’s great grandson and CEO of Agatha Christie Ltd., the company which manages the rights to her works.“I’d love to say that it was a strategy, that we held it back and refused to allow it, but actually we kind of went out of fashion for a bit, certainly on the big screen.”
“Murder on the Orient Express,” is the first in an upcoming slew of new film and television adaptations of Agatha Christie properties, which include a production of “Witness for the Prosecution,” directed by and starring Oscar-winner Ben Affleck.
So, will Christie’s Poirot go the way of modern-day cinematic heavyweights, superheroes like Spider-Man or Iron Man, and spawn a franchise?
“I think Ken’s been fantastic, and I think the idea of this being a one-off Ken Poirot would be sad, so I’d love to see him do more,” Prichard said.
“Murder on the Orient Express,” opens in the UK on November 3.