Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Making of Michelle Yeoh's Chilling Séance Scene in Venice [EXCLUSIVE]

Article Overview

A Haunting in Venice is the third movie in Kenneth Branagh's Poirot franchise, offering a fresh horror-driven take on the iconic detective.

The movie garnered superior reviews compared to its predecessors due to its eerie ambiance and well-executed jump scares.

Despite the positive reception, the film recorded the trilogy's lowest box office earnings, raising doubts about a potential sequel.

Hercule Poirot's most chilling mystery yet arrives just in time for Halloween with A Haunting in Venice. This film, the third chapter in Kenneth Branagh's series inspired by Agatha Christie's legendary detective, follows Poirot as he is called out of retirement to expose a fraudulent medium, only to become entangled in a new murder case. Led by Branagh and featuring a talented ensemble cast including Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan, Kelly Reilly, and Michelle Yeoh, A Haunting in Venice has received outstanding reviews, making it the most acclaimed installment in the trilogy. Additionally, the movie has achieved modest success at the box office, surpassing $116 million in earnings against a $60 million production budget.

To celebrate the film's digital release on October 31, our website is thrilled to present an exclusive behind-the-scenes clip from A Haunting in Venice. This video offers a glimpse into the creation of Michelle Yeoh's hair-raising séance scene, revealing that the other actors had no prior knowledge of how the scene would unfold. Their genuine shock and terror in response to Yeoh's remarkable commitment to the sequence, as well as the practical effects utilized, make for a truly captivating viewing experience.

How A Haunting in Venice Changed Branagh's Poirot Formula

Based loosely on Christie's 1969 novel Hallowe'en Party, Branagh's latest addition to the Poirot franchise approached the character in a fresh and more horror-driven manner. The previous two films, which adapted Christie's Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile novels, took a more traditional approach, resulting in mixed reviews from critics. Despite their modern cast and polished production, some felt the films were outdated.

In contrast, A Haunting in Venice received generally better reviews than its predecessors, largely due to its horror atmosphere. While some critics found the blending of genres to be tonally inconsistent at times, they appreciated the chilling tone and effective jump scares, ultimately finding it more entertaining. Additionally, the movie delved deeper into themes of grief and guilt from World War I, which had only been briefly touched upon in previous installments. Branagh and writer Michael Green have evidently found their stride with this latest installment.

It remains to be seen whether Branagh and Green can sustain their success in future Poirot-driven stories after A Haunting in Venice. While the third installment did end with a promising setup for a new case, it did not provide any indication as to which Christie book it could be based on, in contrast to Murder on the Orient Express which directly set up Death on the Nile. Despite receiving the best reviews among the trilogy, the movie had the lowest box office performance, raising doubts about whether 20th Century Studios will be interested in producing another installment.

Editor's P/S

As a hard fan of the Poirot franchise, I was thrilled to hear about the release of A Haunting in Venice, the third movie in Kenneth Branagh's series inspired by Agatha Christie's legendary detective. The movie's horror-driven take on the iconic detective intrigued me, and I was eager to see how Branagh would blend the classic Poirot formula with elements of the supernatural.

Overall, I thought A Haunting in Venice was a solid addition to the Poirot franchise. The film's eerie ambiance and well-executed jump scares created a genuinely unsettling atmosphere, and the mystery itself was intriguing and kept me guessing until the end. The cast was excellent, with Branagh delivering a typically strong performance as Poirot and the supporting cast, including Michelle Yeoh, Tina Fey, and Jamie Dornan, all giving memorable performances.