According to Variety, Leslie Odom Jr. is in negotiations to join the cast of 20th Century Fox’s remake of Murder on the Orient Express.
Four-time Academy Award nominee Kenneth Branagh (Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit) is set to direct as well as take the starring role of Detective Hercule Poirot in the picture. Agatha Christie’s 1934 murder mystery novel was made into a film in 1974, directed by Sidney Lumet, with an all-star cast including Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Jacqueline Bissett, Sean Connery, John Gielgud, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Michael York, and Ingrid Bergman who won on Academy Award for her supporting role.
In the story, the famous detective investigates the murder by multiple stab wounds of a wealthy American business on board the Orient Express, with a long list of possible suspects among the train’s passengers.
Michael Green (Blade Runner 2) will adapt the screenplay. Executive produces are James Prichard, the author’s great grandson and chariman of Agathy Christie Ltd., and Hilary Strong, CEO of Agatha Christie Ltd. Branagh, Ridley Scott, Mark Gordon and Simon Kinberg will produce. Michael Schaefer and Aditya Sood will also produce in some capacity. Steve Asbell will oversee the production for Fox.
Odom recently finished a very successful Broadway run in Hamilton, for which he won a Tony for his turn as Aaron Burr. He has appeared in several TV series including The Good Wife, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Person of Interest, Smash, and House of Lies. He was on the big screen in the 2012 movie Red Tails.
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