You guys know that I love Agatha Christie, right? I love Miss Marple. I love Hercule Poirot. I love that Christie was so badass and ahead of her time. And I love a good TV or film adaptation of Christie’s work. My favorite adaptation is the one of the most recent BBC adaptations of Miss Marple, starring the late (great) Geraldine McEwan. But I’ve always loved David Suchet at Poirot too. Suchet got to do a big (TV) adaptation of Poiret’s most famous story, and arguably Christie’s most beloved work, Murder on the Orient Express, a story loosely based on the Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping. That was in 2010, and that episode had a stellar cast including Jessica Chastain, Toby Jones, Eileen Atkins and Hugh Bonneville. And of course, there was another film version of Murder on the Orient Express back in 1974. Well, now the book is being remade again, this time with Kenneth Branagh directing. And according to Variety, Angelina Jolie is in talks to play a vital role.
Angelina Jolie is in talks to star in Kenneth Branagh’s mystery ensemble Murder on the Orient Express, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. If a deal is closed, Jolie would play Mrs. Harriet Hubbard, a role once played by Lauren Bacall in the oft-made adaptation. The Fox film is based on Agatha Christie’s classic mystery that has been in the works for years (the deal to secure the rights with the Christie estate was seven years in the making). Shooting is expected to begin in November in London and then move to Malta.
The story centers on 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.
This is exciting! At first I misread this and I thought Jolie would be playing the role played by Ingrid Bergman, a role which many considered (at the time) to be one of Bergman’s best and one for which she won another Oscar. I could see Jolie in that role too. I kind of think Jolie is too young to play the Mrs. Hubbard role? That woman should be in her 50s or 60s, realistically. But the Bergman part – absolutely. Still, I would love to see Angelina take any part in this. This sounds good! And if Angelina is getting an approach, I would imagine some other interesting actors are also being courted.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Jolie and Branaugh? I’d watch that!
So damn excited, I missed jolie the actresses
HONKS for more Angelina!
I loved the book. If this is true I hope she plays an American. I can’t deal with another one of her fake accents.
Amazing how under the radar this true talent has been in a world of overexposed ” celebs”
I’m never excited about remakes of great films but this has potential to be another great film.
I’m here for all of this.
Exciting! Especially since she’s rarely in front of the camera nowadays.
Wow! I am also really excited about this, as I am also a big Agatha Christie fan and love Poirot and David Suchet. I will watch this.
I LOVE this story and, for once, don’t object to remakes, although there are lots of Christie works that could be made into films. I’ve been interested in who would be cast in this since I heard Branagh would direct.
Kenneth Branagh would star as David Suchet…i mean hercule poirot.
I LOVE Agatha Christie and her stories so much! This would be awesome.
My favorite Christie’s books are actually The Murder for Christmas and Death Comes as the End. I LOVE Poirot and the grey cells in his egg-shaped head, and I think nobody comes remotely close to David Suchet in portraying him. And I consider Ten Little Niggers/Indians a much better work than Murder on Orient Express, though the latter is indeed way popular. This said, I’m thrilled to have a movie adaptation of Christie’s book. Now if they can get Jolie on board, I can’t wait to see whom they’re gonna cast as Poirot. Personally I’d prefer Suchet again, though I don’t know if he’s still fitting, age-wise.
I thought nobody had read “Murder for Christmas” but me. It’s Christie’s second-best novel, IMO (#1 will always be “What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw”). And I guessed almost from the beginning that the cop did it.
That is my first choice as well. I wish there were starstudded movie in the making for that too
Wow! I LOVE Murder on the Orient Express! I have the game on my PC. It is a GREAT game! Though in the game the character is named Caroline Hubbard.
This is good news…a good cast is likely with Branagh but the key is Poirot..many did not like Peter Ustinov or Albert Finney as they made him too ‘comic’..I thought Suchet the definite Poirot…but I can never have enough Christie..McEwan’s replacement Julia McKenzie has been good…though my favourite was the BBC version of Marple with Joan Hickson…
I love a good historical” who dun it”!!…
I don’t know that I’ve ever read the whole book or seen a whole film about it. I’d be interested in a new version. But in looking up that role, Jolie is too young.
Lauren Bacall was 50 when she did this role, and based on the description, it shouldn’t be someone much younger than that.
If 25 y.o. JLaw can’t play a 32 y.o., 40 y.o. Jolie shouldn’t be playing a 50-60 y.o. character.
Will be happy to see Mrs Joliet Pitt on screen again. Miss her gorgeous face and her talent.
THIS IS AWESOME!! I’m loving the attention Agatha Christie has been getting recently (“And Then There Were None”) and now this! Thanks for reporting this!
GAHHHHHHHHHH!! YASS PLEASE
It’s criminal she doesn’t get help for her eating disorder. Her shoulder bones are higher than her shoulders. Six kids and she risks a heart attack daily bc of her weight.
well it hasnt stopped her from living her life – so who are you to comment? so far she is directing and producing and doing work in london and lecturing there as well . try and think up something original please
She would be cool in this.
Mrs. Hubbard should be older, and I don’t see Jolie playing this character effectively. She’s a comical old lady, ffs. Jolie is anything but that.
As an avid reader of murder mysteries-I’ve also seen the made for TV movies-I wonder why they don’t choose another book? There are gobs of great mystery books that would make great movies. Some American authors are John Grisham, Michael Crichton (note, I don’t think movies have been made of all of Grisham’s & Crichton’s books), Jack McDevitt (these are also in the sci-fi genre) and Patricia Skalka. I’m also getting tired of the English genre…just an opinion.