Amazon revealed on Thursday that John Malkovich is set to portray famous detective Hercule Poirot in the upcoming TV adaptation of Agatha Christie’s book The ABC Murders. The book will be adapted by Sarah Phelps, who previously adapted several of Christie’s works, while Alex Gabassi (The Frankenstein Chronicles, Psi) is set to take over the directing duties. The filming of The ABC Murders three-part mini-series is scheduled for the beginning of June, with the release date remaining unknown.
“The ABC Murders is one of my great grandmother’s most unsettling and intense stories and Hercule Poirot one of her most intriguing characters,” said James Prichard, executive producer for the project and CEO of Agatha Christie Ltd. “I am humbled by the quality of cast we have lined up for the show and I am most excited to experience the unique approach John Malkovich will bring to the role in this thrilling one-off television adaptation.”
Besides Malkovich, other members of the cast will include Rupert Grint (Harry Potter), Eamon Farren (Twin Peaks), Tara Fitzgerald (Game of Thrones), and Bronwyn James (Harlots) among others.
The ABC Murders was published in 1939 and has Hercule Poirot facing a serial killer known only for leaving an ABC Railway Guide at each crime scene. Besides Poirot, Chief Poirot’s old friend Inspector Japp, Inspector Crome and Dr. Thomson are all joining in the attempt to discover the killer.
“Set in the seething, suspicious early 1930s, ABC Murders is a brutal story of violence and lies, the long shadow of the past and the slaughter to come,” said Sarah Phelps about the project. “At its center, one of the most familiar, famous characters in crime fiction. We may all think we know Poirot, but do we really know Hercule?”
