Death on the Nile, Kenneth Branagh’s follow up to last year’s hit Murder on the Orient Express, has taken a step forward in development with Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot signing on to star in the film, according to Deadline
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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.
In the first film, what starts out as a lavish train ride through Europe quickly unfolds into one of the most stylish, suspenseful and thrilling mysteries ever told. From the novel by best-selling author Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express tells the tale of thirteen strangers stranded on a train, where everyone’s a suspect. One man must race against time to solve the puzzle before the murderer strikes again.
Gadot, who made a name for herself in last year’s critically acclaimed and financial smash Wonder Woman, is currently filming the sequel, which will wrap its principal photography in December and is slated for release on Nov. 1, 2019. She also recently signed on to join The Rock and Rawson Marshall Thurber’s third collaboration for Universal, Red Notice, which is scheduled to begin production mid-2019.
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In addition to directing Murder on the Orient Express, Branagh, a five-time Academy Award nominee, will star as detective Hercule Poirot. Academy Award winner Penelope Cruz plays Pilar Estravados, Academy Award nominee Willem Dafoe is Gerhard Hardman, Academy Award winner Judi Dench portrays Princess Dragomiroff, Academy Award nominee Johnny Depp plays Ratchett, Josh Gad appears as Hector MacQueen, Derek Jacobi is Edward Masterman, “Hamilton” star Leslie Odom Jr. plays Dr. Arbuthnot, Academy Award nominee Michelle Pfeiffer portrays Mrs. Hubbard, and Daisy Ridley plays Mary Debenham.
Death on the Nile is set to hit theaters on Dec. 20, 2019.
