John Malkovich is set to portray the iconic detective Hercule Poirot in a new BBC One adaptation of Agatha Christie's The ABC Murders. The three-part series, co-produced with Amazon, will begin filming in June and is adapted by Sarah Phelps.
The story is set in 1930s England, where Poirot faces a serial killer known as A.B.C., who leaves copies of The ABC Railway Guide at crime scenes in Andover, Bexhill and Churston. The cast also includes Rupert Grint as Inspector Chrome, Andrew Buchan as Franklin Clarke, Eamon Farren as Cust, Tara Fitzgerald as Lady Hermione Clarke, Bronwyn James as Megan and Freya Mavor as Thora Grey.
Executive producer James Prichard, Christie's great-grandson, said: 'The ABC Murders is one of my great grandmother’s most unsettling and intense stories and Hercule Poirot one of her most intriguing characters. I am humbled by the quality of cast we have lined up for the show and I am most excited to experience the unique approach John Malkovich will bring to the role.'
Malkovich joins a distinguished line of actors who have played Poirot, including Kenneth Branagh, Alfred Molina, David Suchet and the late Tony Randall. Suchet, who portrayed the detective for 24 years on ITV, previously described the role as 'my best friend' and said it gave him 'stability in a profession that is insecure.'
