Agatha Christie ‘Hallowe’en Party’ Movie Adaptation ‘A Haunting in Venice’ Announced
A movie adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1969 Halloween mystery novel Hallowe’en Party has been announced today under the title of A Haunting in Venice by Disney-owned 20th Century Studios.
Set in eerie, post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve, A Haunting in Venice is described as 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.
Production will begin next month on the film, to be directed by Oscar® winner Kenneth Branagh (Belfast) from a screenplay by Oscar nominee Michael Green (Logan), and will shoot at Pinewood Studios outside of London and on location in Venice.
The ensemble cast includes Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot, along with Kyle Allen (Rosaline), Camille Cottin (Call My Agent), Jamie Dornan (Belfast), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Jude Hill (Belfast), 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).
Kenneth Branagh says, “This is a fantastic development of the character Hercule Poirot, as well as the Agatha Christie franchise. 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.”
Steve Asbell, president 20th Century Studios, says, “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. 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 studios’ third recent film based on a novel by Christie, reuniting the team behind 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express and 2022’s Death on the Nile, including screenwriter Michael Green, producer Judy Hofflund, and executive producers Louise Killin and James Prichard, along with filmmakers Ridley Scott, Simon Kinberg, and Mark Gordon.
A Haunting in Venice will open in theaters nationwide in 2023.
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