The Hollywood Reporter has brought word that the upcoming murder mystery Death on the Nile, the follow-up to 2017’s box office smash Murder on the Orient Express, has expanded its already ensemble cast with the addition of Victoria & Abdul star Ali Fazal.
RELATED: Russell Brand In Talks To Join Kenneth Branagh’s Death On The Nile
The follow-up will again follow Detective Hercule Poirot in another mystery case as he attempts to unravel the murder of a young heiress while on holiday in Egypt.
Fazal’s casting comes about a month after Russel Brand, whose other film credits include Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek, Bedtime Stories, Hop, Arthur, and Rock of Ages, entered talks to star in the film. Last June, it was also reported that four-time Academy Award-nominated actress Annette Bening was also in negotiations to star in the film.
Should their deals go through, Brand and Bening would be joining Branagh who will once again star as Poirot on top of directing, as well as Tom Bateman (Vanity Fair) reprising his role as Bouc, Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman 1984), Armie Hammer (On the Basis of Sex), Letitia Wright (Black Panther) and Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) in the film.
RELATED: Knives Out Trailer: Rian Johnson Assembles an A-List Ensemble
Death on the Nile was published in 1937. In the story, Poirot was on vacation in Egypt and ends up investigating a murder that resulted from a love triangle. The story was filmed for the big screen in 1978 and starred Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury, and David Niven. Michael Green is returning to the new franchise to adapt the novel for the big screen after having scripted Murder.
Purchase the novel Death on the Nile here.
The movie is set to arrive in theaters on October 2, 2020.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
