The Unforgettable Legacy of Kenneth Branagh's Hercule Poirot Franchise: What's Next After Haunting in Venice?

Summary

Producer James Prichard hints at the possibility of more Hercule Poirot films with Kenneth Branagh as the detective, due to Christie's extensive catalog of stories.

Branagh's fresh interpretation of Poirot has successfully brought Christie's cherished works to a younger audience and has the potential to greatly impact the mystery genre.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, widely hailed as a masterpiece, could be the next Christie novel to be adapted for the screen. Surprisingly, this acclaimed novel has only been adapted once before, in a now lost 1931 film.

A Haunting in Venice producer James Prichard has suggested that Kenneth Branagh's detective Hercule Poirot may make further appearances in the future. This will be Branagh's third time playing Agatha Christie's famous Belgian sleuth, with A Haunting in Venice being the latest installment in the film franchise that began with Murder on the Orient Express in 2017. Departing from Christie's more well-known works, the new film is based on the 1969 novel Hallowe'en Party and is set in Venice, Italy instead of London. Prichard spoke with Total Film and mentioned the potential for the Poirot franchise to continue beyond A Haunting in Venice. He stated that if Branagh and screenwriter Michael Green are interested, they will "definitely" make another film, considering the wealth of Poirot stories written by Christie.

"If Ken wants to do more, and Michael wants to write more, we'll certainly do another. There's a lot of material still to go, so we're not going to run out of inspiration."

What Hercule Poirot Story Should Kenneth Branagh Do Next?

Spanning six decades, Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot appears in 33 novels and 51 short stories, making him one of the most renowned fictional detectives alongside Sherlock Holmes. Even though numerous actors had already portrayed the character on screen, Branagh's distinctive portrayal reintroduced Christie's beloved works to a new generation.

Branagh's Poirot movies, with their all-star casts, not only have the potential for continued success but also the opportunity to make a significant impact in the mystery genre. With a wealth of source material available, the question arises: which Christie book should be the next one to be adapted for the screen?

Among the plethora of options, many readers would argue that Christie's 1926 novel, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, is the most logical choice. Widely regarded as Christie's "masterpiece," it was voted by the British Crime Writers' Association as the greatest crime novel ever written. Additionally, this gripping tale has only been adapted into one feature film, the lost 1931 Austin Trevor movie, Alibi. Given the absence of any remaining copies of Trevor's film, following up the recent success of A Haunting In Venice with an adaptation of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd would be both thrilling and potentially groundbreaking.

Source: Total Film (via GamesRadar+)