James Nesbitt is set to appear in his first TV costume drama in the BBC's new adaptation of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot stories. The Cold Feet star has landed a "significant role" in the first of three six-part series for BBC1, which will feature 33-year-old Killing Eve actor Edward Bluemel as the famous Belgian detective.
All-Star Cast Announced
Other cast members announced for the series, scheduled to air next year, include Friday Night Dinner's Tamsin Greig, Oppenheimer's James D'Arcy, Game of Thrones' Jack Gleeson, Smoggie Queens' Phil Dunning, and Juice's Mawaan Rizwan.
An insider said Nesbitt, 61, was eager to take on his first period role, which will see him dressed "full on 1920s dapper." His previous credits include Run Away, Murphy's Law, Bloodlands, Monroe, and The Missing.
Nesbitt's Excitement
The source added: "It's mad that James has got to this stage of his career without playing a character from another era on TV. He's hugely excited to have landed his first period role alongside such a stellar cast."
The series, titled simply Hercule, is billed as an "ambitious reimagining" and will explore Poirot's origin story as he arrives in the UK from Belgium, his growing friendship with Captain Arthur Hastings, and his early encounters with Scotland Yard's James Japp.
Series Details
Produced by Mammoth Screen, known for Poldark, the series will air next year. The production company has not revealed which three books are being adapted, though fans speculate that Christie's first Poirot novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, will be included, with Black Coffee and Lord Edgware Dies as other possibilities. Filming is set to begin in Liverpool.
Christie's Poirot novels have sold over 750 million copies worldwide. Executive producer Damien Timmer said the series is designed as "a love letter to Agatha Christie" that will bring a "fascinating new perspective" to the character.
