20th Century Studios has released the first teaser trailer for new Kenneth Branagh film A Haunting In Venice ahead of the project’s September 15, 2023 release date, once again exploring the novels of Agatha Christie and moving the exploits of Detective Hercule Poirot (played by Branagh) to the domain of supernatural horror.
With the popularity of last year’s Death on the Nile and 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express, the appetite for Branagh’s big-screen Agatha Christie adaptations, as part of the director’s ongoing Poirot saga, is obvious. These incredibly stylish takes on the legendary detective novelist’s compelling stories have demonstrably made for some genuinely thrilling blockbusters and it’s looking like A Haunting In Venice should fit perfectly for the niche franchise.
While the last two movies could be conceived as thrillers, Branagh’s Hercule Poirot films have never really touched full-blown horror. From the A Haunting in Venice trailer, that’s going to change in what looks like a fast-paced, rather intense way. From the looks of things, the fictional detective is wrapped into an unusual case that moves away from the typical whodunnit and flows in a similar vein to supernatural horrors like The Conjuring and Insidious.
Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once) is leading the cast alongside Jamie Dornan (Fifty Shades of Grey), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Kyle Allen (West Side Story) and Kelly Reilly (Yellowstone). The script, handled by Murder on the Orient Express writer Michael Green, lifts from Christie’s 1969 novel Hallowe’en Party but he has been said to be taking “extreme liberties” with its source material, doubling down on the supernatural themes that occur during the book’s titular party and moving the setting from the English countryside to Venice.
Ridley Scott (Alien) also returns to the franchise as co-producer alongside Branagh, Judy Hofflund and Kevin J. Walsh.
Hallowe’en Party follows a murder that occurs after a Halloween party, spurring Poirot nto action as the detective investigates a chain of murders in the area. That throughline will reportedly form the backbone of the film, but Green’s script should offer some substantial differences from the novel.
As per the teaser trailer, Yeoh’s character, Joyce Reynolds, seems to be conducting a seance in Venice during the party, leading to all sorts of chaos including Poirot falling victim to one of the ghosts that inhabit the manor.
A Haunting in Venice hits cinemas on September 15, 2023.
