Russell Brandis in negotiations to joinKenneth Branaghin 20th Century Fox’s whodunitDeath on the Nile, the sequel to 2017’s Agatha Christie adaptationMurder on the Orient Express, Collider has exclusively learned.
Gal Gadot,Armie Hammer,Letitia Wright,Tom Batemanand four-time Oscar nomineeAnnette Beningare among those expected to star in the film, which is based on Christie’s 1937 novel of the same name.
Death on the Nilewas previously brought to the big screen in 1978 with a star-studded cast that includedBette Davis,Mia Farrow,Angela Lansbury,Maggie Smith,Jack Warden,Sam Wanamaker(theLancerdirector played by Nicholas Hammond inOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood) andPeter Ustinovas detective Hercule Poirot.
The film found Poirot enjoying a luxurious cruise down the Nile when a newlywed heiress is found murdered onboard, forcing him to identify the killer before the ship reaches the end of its deadly journey. Branagh will, of course, return to direct and reprise his role as Poirot afterOrient Expressgrossed more than $350 million worldwide.
Orient ExpressscribeMichael Greenis returning to adapt Christie’s marvelous mystery, and the sequel is being produced byRidley Scott,Simon Kinberg,Kevin Walsh,Judy HofflundandMark Gordon. Fox executiveSteve Asbellwill oversee the project on behalf of the Disney-owned label, and Disney will release the film on Aug 08, 2025.
Brandhas a legion of fans thanks to his raucous turn as Aldous Snow inForgetting Sarah MarshallandGet Him to the Greek, and herecently enjoyed a recurring role oppositeDwayne Johnsonon HBO’sBallers. Brand’s most significant recent features includeLarry Charles' 2016Nicolas CagecomedyArmy of OneandDiablo Cody’s 2013 dramedyParadise, though he alsostarred in bothRock of Agesand the remake ofArthur.
Additionally,Brand lent his voice to the first twoDespicable Memovies and the 2016 animated hitTrolls, and he’ll soon be seen in the indieFour Kids and ItalongsideMichael Caine,Paula PattonandMatthew Goode. Brand is also a bestselling author who isdeveloping several feature projects under his Branded Films banner. He’s represented by Tavistock Wood Management and Ziffren Brittenham.
