The long awaited new Agatha Christie adaptation is officially released in the United States as of February 11, but not without it’s fair share of controversy.
After 2017’s Murder On The Orient Express, an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1937 novel of the same name, Death On The Nile is the next installment of a Hercule Poirot mystery to hit the big screen. Christie wrote over 47 novels featuring the detective Poirot, played by Kenneth Branagh who also directs the film.
Death On The Nile follows Poirot vacationing in Egypt on a cruise along the Nile when someone aboard is murdered, and he must figure out who committed the crime. The film is projected to bring in between $11 and $17 million this opening weekend, and has been met with mixed reviews so far.
Controversy
The excitement over Death On The Nile has been dampened by controversy since it was announced. In January 2021, Armie Hammer (who stars as Simon Doyle) faced multiple abuse allegations from women he’d been in relationships, as well as equally disturbing allegations of cannibalistic and violent fantasies he would project onto them. He was recast in a few slated projects, but Death On The Nile was already filmed and could not follow suit.
Trailers and marketing for Death On The Nile appeared to try to minimize Armie Hammer’s role in the film (something West Side Story was also accused of doing last year with Ansel Elgort after his abuse allegations).
Hammer is not the only member of the cast who hasn’t faced the best publicity recently. Letitia Wright, who plays Rosalie Otterbourne, came under fire last year for speaking out against COVID-19 vaccines and sharing videos to social media from transphobic political figures.
Director Kenneth Branagh has expressed his desire to adapt more Agatha Christie works in the future.