According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney and 20th Century Studios have released a new trailer for Kenneth Branagh’s upcoming mystery-thriller adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic novel. The cast includes an actor recently caught up in a major scandal, Armie Hammer.
Almost a year has passed since multiple women accused Hammer of emotional abuse, manipulation, and coercion. In April, a woman with the alias Effie accused Hammer of rape. Hammer denied the allegations but was dropped by his agents at William Morris. He also withdrew from number of movie and TV projects, including Shotgun Wedding and The Godfather series at Paramount+.
Death on the Nile had completed production for over a year when the troubling allegations surfaced. It left Disney in a tough position since the release of the movie, originally set for cinemas in 2020, was delayed because of COVID-19.
Disney considered several options when the accusations regarding Hammer broke, including reshooting the movie with a new star who could replace Hammer’s character or use digital technology to edit or alter the film.
Either option would have been near impossible to achieve, since gathering all the actors back together for a reshoot during the pandemic was not feasible. And considering the size of the cast and intricate storyline, altering the film would be equally as challenging.
Ultimately, the studio decided to leave the film as is and proceed with a theatrical release. To shelve Death on the Nile or sell it to a streamer would have been a disservice to the large cast and crew, The Hollywood Reporter indicates. Disney did not want to abandon the franchise built by 20th Century in partnership with the Christie estate. Murder on the Orient Express (2017), also directed by and starring Branagh, only grossed close to $353 million at the worldwide box office. Disney inherited Death on the Nile and rights to further films after the Disney/Fox merger in 2019.
Death on the Nile, set for release on Valentine’s Day Weekend on February 11, follows the drama that unfolds when one of the passengers of the luxurious S.S. Karnak is found murdered. Branagh’s character is the iconic fictional detective created by Christie, Hercule Poirot. Gal Gadot’s character is Linnet Ridgeway-Doyle and her husband Simon Doyle is played by Hammer. Poirot and the glamorous newlyweds are in for more than they bargained for as the trip continues. “When you have money, no one is really ever your friend,” Linnet tells Poirot in the trailer.
20th Century production president Steve Asbell said in a statement announcing the trailer, “Ken’s sweeping, elegant vision for this classic story deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible. We’re so proud of this film, our brilliant cast and the stellar work that went into bringing Death on the Nile to screen. We know that audiences can’t wait to experience Hercule Poirot’s next adventure, and we’re thrilled to continue working with Ken as he lends his masterful storytelling vision to the newest film in this celebrated franchise.”
“More than 100 years after the publication of Agatha Christie’s first novel, her crime fiction works remain immensely popular and continue to be discovered anew by people around the world. I’m thrilled that Disney and our partners believe in this franchise, which has helped introduce millions of new fans to Christie’s classic works,” adds Agatha Christie Ltd. chair-CEO James Prichard.
Watch the new trailer for Death on the Nile below.
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