Production on 20th Century Studios‘ A Haunting in Venice, an unsettling supernatural thriller inspired by Agatha Christie’s novel Hallowe’en Party (order now), is set to begin next month. The film will open in theaters nationwide on September 15, 2023.
The movie, directed by Oscar winner Kenneth Branagh (Belfast) and featuring a screenplay by Oscar nominee Michael Green (Logan), will be shot at Pinewood Studios outside London and on location in Venice.
The acting ensemble, which portrays a cast of unforgettable characters, includes Kenneth Branagh, Kyle Allen (Rosaline), Camille Cottin (Call My Agent), Jamie Dornan (Belfast), Tina Fey (30 Rock), and Jude Hill (Belfast).
Also starring are Ali Khan (6 Underground), Emma Laird (Mayor of Kingstown), Kelly Reilly (Yellowstone), Riccardo Scamarico (Caravaggio;s Shadow), and Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once).
Set in eerie, post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve, A Haunting in Venice is a terrifying mystery featuring the return of the celebrated sleuth, Hercule Poirot.
Now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the world’s most glamorous city, Poirot reluctantly attends a séance at a decaying, haunted palazzo. When one of the guests is murdered, the detective is thrust into a sinister world of shadows and secrets.
Kenneth Branagh says, “This is a fantastic development for the character Hercule Poirot and the Agatha Christie franchise.
The filmmaker and actor added, “Based on a complex, little-known tale of mystery set at Halloween in a pictorially ravishing city, it is an amazing opportunity for us as filmmakers, and we are relishing the chance to deliver something truly spine-chilling for our loyal movie audiences.”
“We are enormously privileged to continue our long collaboration with the incomparable Sir Kenneth Branagh and couldn’t be more excited by the bold new creative direction Ken, Michael, and the rest of the filmmaking team have taken with this latest film,” said Steve Asbell, president 20th Century Studios.
“We also remain grateful to James Prichard and the rest of our friends at Agatha Christie, Ltd., for their partnership and for once again entrusting us with, as Poirot modestly calls himself, ‘probably the greatest detective in the world.'”
A Haunting in Venice, the studio’s third film based on a novel by Christie, reunites the team of filmmakers behind 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express and 2022’s Death on the Nile.
The crew includes screenwriter Michael Green, producer Judy Hofflund, and executive producers Louise Killin and James Prichard, along with filmmakers Ridley Scott, Simon Kinberg, and Mark Gordon.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.