Looks like we’re getting a 3rd Hercule Poirot movie

I'd like a third one. Wonder which book they'd adapt?

A pornographic musical in space?

On the Agatha Christie subreddit we were spitballing about what book they’ll adapt, what with the “daring shift in genre and in tone” (sigh) and “one of the lesser-known novels” comment. A few commenters did suggest The Big Four, which makes no sense to me (to adapt this, one of Christie’s worst, you basically just have to scrap everything and write a new plot. But why adapt it then? It doesn’t even have the elements people read Christie for).

My guess is either Five Little Pigs or Taken at the Flood. I’m leaning toward the former, which has an art background and references to Romeo and Juliet that could fit with an Italian setting. It isn’t daring in genre and tone for people who know Christie, but a Hollywood exec may think it is (it’s one of Christie’s best characterized—and, for me, most moving).

Mark Aldridge, who’s written a few books on Christie, says it’s an adaptation of “inspired by” Hallowe’en Party.


Well, I wasn’t expectin’ that. (Incidentally, Hallowe’en Party is one of the few Christies—and even fewer Poirots—I haven’t read.) The real question is “Wherefore Venice? Just to do a Don’t Look Now takeoff?”

Wait, strike that, the real real question is “AFTER HOW TERRIBLE BRANAGH’S OTHER POIROTS WERE—AND HOW MUCH HIS DEATH ON THE NILE FLOPPED—WHY IS A STUDIO GREENLIGHTING THIS PROJECT?”

Ugh.

EDIT: Aldridge was quoting Variety, which confirmed that the Branagh movie is “inspired by” Hallowe’en Party. “Ugh” would have applied no matter what, but at least Branagh probably won’t be taking a wrecking ball to my second-favorite Christie, Five Little Pigs.