Everyone loves a gripping whodunit, and it sounds like 20th Century Studios do too, with boss Steve Asbell revealing that several movies based on the work of seminal author Agatha Christie are now in the works. Discussing the slate of upcoming projects with THR, which includes a sequel to Alien: Romulus, a pair of Predator movies, and a new Planet of the Apes outing, Abell revealed that there are currently three Agatha Christie projects now in development.
“More, yes. We have, And Then There Were None. We have Witness for the Prosecution. We’re doing Miss Marple. There’s a bunch of other titles that we’re working on. We have very close relationship with the estate.”
To offer some details on the projects and what they’re all about, “And Then There Were None” was first published way, way back in 1939 and centers on 10 strangers who are invited to Soldier Island, an isolated rock near the Devon coast. The story contains all the ingredients Christie is known for, including a pair of mysteriously missing hosts, accusations of the crime, and one of the group suddenly being found dead…which suggests there’s a murderer among them.
“The Witness for the Prosecution,” meanwhile, is a short story about a young married man who spends his evenings with a rich old woman. When she is found murdered, the naive man is the chief suspect. And, finally, “Miss Marple” is the title figure in a series of novels and short stories. An unassuming detective, Miss Marple has spent her life in the small village of St Mary Mead, becoming not just an unexpected detective, but an expert in human nature.
What’s Going on With Kenneth Branagh’s Poirot?
All three Agatha Christie stories have been adapted before for both stage and the small screen, but no doubt audiences would relish the chance to sit in a theater and witness the respective mysteries unfold. Christie’s stories have long been used as both adaptations and inspirations, with one her best-known creations, probably the greatest detective in the world, Hercule Poirot, recently being brought to life by Kenneth Branagh.
Related
The 10 Best Episodes of Agatha Christie’s Poirot
Here are some of the finest hours of Agatha Christie’s Poirot, the episodes that perfectly combine mystery, storytelling, and a satisfying ending.
Interestingly, there is no mention of the master sleuth in this latest update, with Branagh’s Poirot having last appeared in 2023’s A Haunting in Venice. The Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker though has revealed his hopes of seeing an Agatha Christie shared universe take shape, so we may yet see more of the gloriously mustachioed investigator yet. Branagh said back in 2017:
“I think there are possibilities, aren’t there? With 66 books and short stories and plays, she – and she often brings people together in her own books actually, so innately – she enjoyed that. You feel as though there is a world – just like with Dickens, there’s a complete world that she’s created – certain kinds of characters who live in her world – that I think has real possibilities.”