Filming for the BBC's new Agatha Christie drama Hercule resumed this week in Liverpool, with crews filling Canning Street and Back Sandon Street in the Georgian Quarter. The street closure marks the latest stage of production for the series, which is based on Agatha Christie's famous fictional detective Hercule Poirot.
Cast and Crew Return to Liverpool
The return to filming comes just weeks after further casting was announced for the new series. Edward Bluemel will take on the lead role as the detective, following in the footsteps of actors such as David Suchet, John Moffatt, Peter Ustinov and Kenneth Branagh. Bluemel has said he feels lucky to be trusted with such an "iconic character" and is excited to continue Poirot's legacy.
He will be joined by a cast that includes Riot Women actress Tamsin Greig, Cold Feet star James Nesbitt and Juice actor Mawaan Rizwan. Earlier this month, the Liverpool Film Office announced that Jessica Alexander, Honor Swinton Byrne, Omari Douglas, Paul Forman, Arthur Hughes, Ralf Little, River Medway, Katherine Parkinson, Natalie Quarry and Toby Stephens would also join the cast.
Poirot's Legacy and New Storylines
Hercule Poirot, widely regarded as one of fiction's greatest detectives, first appeared in Agatha Christie's 1916 debut novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles, which was published in the UK in October 1920. Christie's novels have sold more than 750 million copies over more than a century.
The new series will shine a light on some of Christie's most celebrated stories while charting Hercule's burgeoning friendship with Captain Arthur Hastings, his early encounters with Scotland Yard's James Japp, and introducing him to a particular nemesis. According to the Liverpool Film Office, the series serves as an "intimate study of Hercule the man and an epic portrait of Britain between the wars."
Production Details and Locations
Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, said: "Hercule Poirot is one of the greatest and most loved characters of all time, and bringing him back to the BBC is a real privilege. From the first moments of Edward's audition we knew we'd found the perfect actor for Hercule, with a performance that feels both fresh and exciting, yet quintessentially Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot. We can't wait for viewers to meet him."
Production locations for the drama also include Croxteth Hall and Country Park. The series is produced by Mammoth Screen (part of ITV Studios) and Agatha Christie Limited for the BBC and BritBox North America.
