Production Begins On Kenneth Branagh’s Death On The Nile

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Production begins on Kenneth Branagh’s Death On The Nile

20th Century Fox has announced that production has officially begun for five-time Oscar nominee Kenneth Branagh’s upcoming mystery thriller Death on the Nile, a sequel to 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express. Based on Agatha Christie’s novel of the same name, the follow-up is set to film at Longcross Studios outside London and on location in Egypt.

“Crimes of passion are dangerously sexy,” Branagh said in a statement. “Agatha Christie has written a riveting story of emotional chaos and violent criminality and Michael Green has once again written a screenplay to match. With a cherished group of long-time artistic collaborators and a brilliant international cast, it is truly a pleasure to join Disney, Fox and Agatha Christie, Ltd. in bringing this daring thriller to the big screen. There are significant new twists, an awe-inspiring desert landscape and a chance to celebrate big screen entertainment in glorious 65 millimetre celluloid!”

In Death on the Nile, Detective Hercule Poirot’s Egyptian adventure aboard a glamorous river steamer descends into a terrifying search for a murderer when an idyllic honeymoon is shattered by violent deaths. This sinister tale of obsessive love and its murderous consequences plays out in an epic landscape of danger and foreboding, with enough shocking twists and turns to leave audiences unsettled and guessing until the final, shocking denouement.

The sequel features Branagh who will once again star as Poirot on top of directing, as well as Tom Bateman (Vanity Fair) reprising his role as Bouc. They will be joined by a new set of star-studded cast which includes: four-time Academy Award-nominated actress Annette Bening (Captain Marvel), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Armie Hammer (Call Me by Your Name), Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones), Letitia Wright (Black Panther), Emma Mackey (Sex Education), Sophie Okonedo (The Secret Life of Bees), Jennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous), Russell Brand (Ballers), Ali Fazal (Victoria & Abdul), and Dawn French (French and Saunders).

The film is again written by Murder on the Orient Express scribe Michael Green. It will be produced by Ridley Scott, Mark Gordon, Simon Kinberg, Kenneth Branagh and Judy Hofflund with Matthew Jenkins and James Prichard serving as executive producers.

Death on the Nile was published in 1937. In the story, Poirot was on vacation in Egypt and ends up investigating a murder that resulted from a love triangle. The story was filmed for the big screen in 1978 and starred Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury, and David Niven.

Purchase the novel Death on the Nile here.

The movie is set to arrive in theaters on October 9, 2020.