Murder on the Orient Express Trailer Released

Murder on the Orient Express poster

The first trailer for Kenneth Branagh’s version of the classic Agatha Christie mystery Murder on the Orient Express has been released, and … mmmm … probably not a good sign that when he starts speaking, in his role as Hercule Poirot, I wanted to giggle. The accent, you see, is just so exaggerated. But not as much as that mustache!

Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express

Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express

As with the 1974 classic (which won Ingrid Bergman an Oscar and sets a very high bar to meet), this film is star-studded, with Michelle Pfeiffer, Derek Jacobi, Judi Dench, Willem Dafoe, and the now-infamous Johnny Depp starring, among many others.

I’ve known the ending since it was spoiled for me by an episode of Remington Steele, but I wonder how many people do now. And if those people will go see the movie. If this is someone’s first experience of the famous mystery, it could be stunning.

A murder takes place on the famous luxury train while it’s stopped, and the mixed group of passengers, ranging from a princess to a missionary, are investigated by Poirot. (I don’t believe, by the way, he would ever call himself “probably the greatest detective in the world”. The “probably” isn’t suited to the character who was such a fan of order and precision.)

It’s a favorite story because it captures well a lost era with an ingenious puzzle. So much depends on the characters — I hope the film sticks to the basics without modern music or spectacle. Murder on the Orient Express will be in theaters November 10.

Murder on the Orient Express poster



One comment

  • Jim Perreault

    They showed the preview before Wonder Woman, which I thought an odd pairing.
    This was after the showed a preview for Rough Night, which was an even odder pairing.

    The rest of the previews were what you would expect from a blockbuster superhero movie, starting with Atomic Blonde.

    As for “Murder on the Orient Express”, I’ve seen the original so I am not all that motivated to see the remake. (I was a big fan of Remington Steele back in the day, but must have missed the spoiler. I have since seen many of the movies referenced by the show, which is a bit fun. The ending of the Godfather was spoiled for me by an episode of the Simpsons).

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