Kenneth Branagh to star in and direct Fox’s ‘Murder on the Orient Express’

As expected, Kenneth Branagh will direct 20th Century Fox’s new film adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder On The Orient Express. However, he will also surprisingly play the famed fictional detective Hercule Poirot as well.

Fox President Emma Watts made the announcement late Friday, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Talk of a new Murder on the Orient Express started in 2013 and Branagh started talks in June 2015. The film will be his follow-up to Cinderella, which he directed for Disney.

Murder on the Orient Express is one of Christie’s most famous novels. Published in 1934, it finds Poirot trying to find a murderer on a train, but the other passengers aren’t very helpful. The story was turned into a film in 1974, with Sidney Lumet directing and Albert Finney playing Poirot. Alfred Molina played the detective in a 2001 CBS TV movie. A 2010 U.K. TV adaptation featured David Suchet, who has played Poirot for over two decades.

The script for the new film is being written by Michael Green (Blade Runner 2). The producers include Ridley Scott, Simon Kinberg, Mark Gordon, Michael Schaefer and Aditya Sood. Branagh will also co-produce.

Branagh’s recent directing credits include Thor and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. His career includes five Oscar nominations, including one for directing Henry V in 1990.