The latest Hercule Poirot mystery is here with the Kenneth Branagh-led A Haunting in Venice. The film, which also stars Branagh as Hercule, is a follow-up to two previous installments with the same writer-star, Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile.
This new installment will deviate quite a bit from the first two films by way of embracing a more gothic tone. Once again, the movie boasts an impressive ensemble that includes the likes of Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Dornan, and Tina Fey. However, is the film based on a classic Agatha Christie novel like the first two? Or is it something completely original?
What was the name of the original book?
Rather than retaining the title of the book on which it is based like the previous films, A Haunting in Venice is actually based on the book Hallowe’en Party. Indeed, the threequel also deviates from the source material in other ways that are unique to this installment, such as setting the story in Venice rather than an English country village. The film also leaned more heavily into its horror themes than the novel.
With Hallowe’en Party first being published in 1969, it has surprisingly not seen as many of the dramatic adaption treatments as other works by Christie. However, according to executive producer James Prichard, the chairman and CEO of Agatha Christie Limited and the author’s own great-grandson, that doesn’t make the story any less timeless than her other works. Prichard explained on The Walt Disney Company’s website why he thinks the Hercule Poirot stories are “so perfect for film adaptations:”
“I think it’s the stories. That’s the simple thing, really. She had this extraordinary genius for inventing plots. Great stories stand the test of time and they also work across different cultures and languages, which is why we have such a global presence.”
If you’re curious how the new film fared, we reviewed A Haunting in Venice to help you decide whether it is worth a trip to the movie theaters. Though We Got This Covered’s Francisca Tinoco praised the visuals, she admitted the horror-leaning murder mystery was held back by somewhat clichéd storytelling.
A Haunting in Venice is in theaters now.