2017's Murder on the Orient Express opened to mixed reviews, but that didn't stop Warner Bros. from greenlighting a sequel. Like the first film, the sequel Death on the Nile will be directed by Thor helmer/Harry Potter actor/Shakespeare enthusiast Kenneth Branagh. This new film is also taking after its predecessor in another way: by showcasing a stacked cast that may, admittedly, be the film's major selling point.
Death on the Nile follows vacationing Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, who must set aside his leisure time to solve the murder of a young heiress. Not much else is known about Branagh's still-distant interpretation, except, of course, for its impressive cast. Logan, Blade Runner 2049, and Alien: Covenant co-writer Michael Green is writing the script. Green is a fabulous screenwriter (arguably among Hollywood's better ones) and doesn't get nearly as much recognition as he should.
Leading the Death on the Nile cast is Branagh as Hercule Poirot, along with Gal Gadot and Armie Hammer, with Russell Brand currently circling a role in the film as well.
Gal Gadot is best known for her role as Wonder Woman in the DCEU, but she also starred in multiple Fast and Furious movies and tried out comedy in Keeping Up with the Joneses. Armie Hammer is probably best known for Call Me by Your Name, The Social Network, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Russell Brand, a British actor and comic, appeared in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him To The Greek, the first two Despicable Me movies, and a handful of other films you've definitely heard of.
Kenneth Branagh gained popularity as a director of Shakespeare adaptations before appearing in blockbusters such as Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. He also directed 2011's Thor, one of the earliest entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Based on Agatha Christie's bestselling novel of the same name, Murder on the Orient Express, starred Branagh, Willem Dafoe, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Daisy Ridley, Michelle Pfeiffer, Johnny Depp, and Josh Gad. It made an impressive $352.7 million worldwide off a reported $55 million production budget, per Box Office Mojo. Death on the Nile is also an adaptation of a popular Agatha Christie novel.
Both Murder on the Orient Express and the anticipated Death on the Nile were published in the 1930s and have both been adapted numerous times. It will be interesting to see what Branagh does with the material and if he strays too far from Christie's original story. If Murder on the Orient Express is any indication of where he might take things, then we should be in good hands. He did a fabulous job with that film so color us excited.
Death on the Nile is scheduled for release on December 20, 2020. Filming will reportedly begin at the end of September. We've still got a long way to go before it hits our eyeballs, but what do you think of what you know so far? Worth it? Not worth it? Rental-worthy at best? Let us know in the comments below and, to hold you over, take a look at our list of upcoming 2019 films.
