Death on the Nile's star-studded cast revealed; Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Ali Fazal to be part of Kenneth Branagh's film

The production of Kenneth Branagh’s Death on the Nile, a sequel to 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express and an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel of the same name, has begun. The star-studded cast line-up was also revealed by the makers. The crime thriller will chronicle Hercule Poirot’s vacation in Egypt, where he discovers a murder on the banks of river Nile after a love triangle goes awry. Branagh returns to direct and star as the moustachioed detective. He will reunite with Tom Bateman, who will reprise his role as Bouc from Murder on the Orient Express. They will be joined by Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer , Ali Fazal , Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Dawn French, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo, Jennifer Saunders, and Letitia Wright. Here is the cast announcement.

Michael Green, who adapted the screenplay for Murder on the Orient Express and  Blade Runner: 2049 , has penned the sequel too. “Crimes of passion are dangerously sexy. 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!,” said Branagh in a statement, according to IndieWire. Death on the Nile was previously adapted in 1978, with Peter Ustinov as Poirot along with Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, Maggie Smith among others. Branagh, Ridley Scott, Simon Kinberg, Mark Gordon, and Judy Hofflund will once again serve as producers on this project. Matthew Jenkins and James Prichard are the executive producers. Death on the Nile will be shot in Longcross Studios in the UK and in Egypt. The film is scheduled to release on 9 October, 2020.