John Malkovich and Rupert Grint are to star in BBC1’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The ABC Murders.
Due to start filming in June, John Malkovich will lead the cast as Hercule Poirot, while Grint will play Inspector Crome.
This one off three-part drama marks the return of Poirot to television and continues BBC One and Agatha Christie Limited’s production deal that will see Agatha Christie Limited and Mammoth Screen deliver six more Christie adaptations.
BAFTA nominated writer Sarah Phelps has adapted the book, which is set in the 1930s; a time when the nation is dangerously divided and suspicion and hatred are on the rise. In the midst of this Poirot faces a serial killer known only as A.B.C. First the killer strikes in Andover, then Bexhill. As the murder count rises, the only clue is the copy of The ABC Railway Guide at each crime scene.
The ABC Murders will be directed by Alex Gabassi (The Frankenstein Chronicles, El Hipnotizador) and produced by BAFTA nominated Farah Abushwesha (Irreplaceable You, The Party).
The ABC Murders is a Mammoth Screen and Agatha Christie Limited drama for BBC One. The executive producers are Sarah Phelps, Damien Timmer and Helen Ziegler for Mammoth Screen, James Prichard and Basi Akpabio for Agatha Christie Limited and Elizabeth Kilgarriff for BBC.
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James Prichard, Executive Producer and CEO of Agatha Christie Limited, says: “The ABC Murders is one of my great grandmother’s most unsettling and intense stories and Hercule Poirot one of her most intriguing characters. I am humbled by the quality of cast we have lined up for the show and I am most excited to experience the unique approach John Malkovich will bring to the role in this thrilling one-off television adaptation.”
Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, says: "Over the last three years Sarah has breathed new life into some of Agatha Christie’s most renowned crime stories and we can’t wait for her to do the same with Christie’s most iconic detective, Hercule Poirot. We are utterly thrilled that John Malkovich has been persuaded to unleash his extraordinary abilities on this stellar role.”
Staff Reporter
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