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Over her illustrious career, Michelle Yeoh has starred in many films that have reached worldwide audiences. She first gained fame for her Hong Kong action films during the 1980s and 1990s, where she performed her own stunts. However, after moving to the United States, she became a bigger action star among American audiences. She also tried her hand at different genres, including science fiction and fantasy. In recent years, her career has hit new milestones, and she has continued to expand her acting range significantly.

Yeoh's Oscar win for Everything Everywhere All at Once propelled her to new heights, making her an in-demand actress in Hollywood. Furthermore, she recently starred in shows like American Born Chinese and The Brothers Sun and is a part of big franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Despicable Me, and Transformers. As for her upcoming work, she is set to star in the 2024 film adaptation...

Kenneth Branagh's A Haunting in Venice's time jump in 1947 prevents the adaptation of three Hercule Poirot movies based on Agatha Christie's timeline. The omission of World War II in the franchise may be intentional, as the previous installment, Death on the Nile, already dealt with the trauma of war. The future of the Hercule Poirot movies remains uncertain, but potential options include adapting Elephants Can Remember, Curtain: Poirot's Last Case, or exploring new storylines while incorporating elements from the source material.

The time jump used in Kenneth Branagh's A Haunting in Venice makes at least three Hercule Poirot movies impossible now, so long as the director and star plans to follow author Agatha Christie's timeline. Following Branagh's adaptations of Christie's more well-known whodunits Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, the filmmaker tackled a less popular Poirot novel: Hallowe'en Party. In addition to swapping...

Rowena Drake treats her adult daughter, Alicia, like a child, indicating an unhealthy relationship from the start. Rowena's behavior and dedication to being Alicia's sole caretaker hints at her extreme measures, which include poisoning her daughter. The clues of the "M" key on the typewriter and Rowena's close relationship with Alicia's doctor are key indicators of Rowena's guilt as the killer.

Throughout the course of the film, there are many well-plotted clues to A Haunting in Venice's killer's identity. In true whodunit fashion, these well-laid clues are also one of the movie's most satisfying elements, as they allow viewers to piece together the mystery alongside Hercule Poirot, Kenneth Branagh's mustachioed, top-notch detective. The third installment in Branagh's series of Poirot adaptations, A Haunting in Venice deviates from Agatha Christie's Hallowe'en Party. Set in eerie, post-World War II Venice, the film revolves around the tragic death of Alicia Drake...

Kenneth Branagh is back for this third — and by TheWrap’s account, best — appearance as Agatha Christie’s detective Hercule Poirot in “A Haunting in Venice.” He also directs the spooky mystery, which boasts a terrific lineup of murder suspects (and potential victims), including Michelle Yeoh, Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan and Kelly Reilly.

Here’s who plays which character in the film based on Christie’s 1969 novel “Hallowe’en Party” — and where you might have seen the less familiar names before.

“A Haunting in Venice” is now streaming on Disney+.

20th Century Studios.

Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot

British actor Kenneth Branagh reprises his role as the fussy Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, whom he previously played in the recent remakes “Murder on the Orient Express” and “Death on the Nile.” The film begins in 1947 with Poirot retired from sleuthing and leading a quiet life in Venice — until he’s dragged into a new case.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for A Haunting in Venice.

A Haunting in Venice diverges from the original book and incorporates supernatural elements, creating an eerie atmosphere. Most of the ghosts in the film can be rationally explained, but some unexplained occurrences suggest a supernatural presence. The ambiguity of the ghosts challenges Poirot's cynicism and forces him to consider the possibility of something beyond his rational understanding.

While most of A Haunting in Venice’s mysteries are neatly tied up, the story remains elusive when it comes to the reality of its titular haunting. The film, Kenneth Branagh’s third outing as the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, finds itself blending genres and breaking with numerous series conventions. In A Haunting in Venice, a retired, disillusioned Poirot is invited to witness a séance at the home of an opera singer who wishes to commune with her late daughter. However, the...

A Haunting in Venice is Kenneth Branagh's darkest Agatha Christie adaptation yet, featuring shocking and brutal deaths. Hercule Poirot solves the murders using real-world clues, but the film remains ambiguous about whether ghosts are real. Rowena Drake, who accidentally killed her daughter, is revealed to be the real culprit behind the murders, while the true blackmailer is Reynolds' son.

Spoilers for A Haunting in VeniceKenneth Brannagh's third Agatha Christie adaption, A Haunting in Venice, is the darkest one yet, as its horror aesthetic leads to some pretty shocking and brutal deaths. When Hercule Poirot is invited to a Halloween party and séance, things turn for the worse when a dead body is discovered, and Poirot is forced out of retirement to solve the case. There are four deaths in A Haunting in Venice, three of which are murders.

Through his incredible detective skills, Poirot solves the murders, and while...

Kenneth Branagh returns as Hercule Poirot in a radical departure from his two previous Agatha Christie adaptations. A Haunting in Venice is a terrifying murder mystery set in a creepy -World War II palazzo. The famed Belgian sleuth is invited to a séance by crime novelist Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey). She wants him to prove that spiritual medium Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeah) is a fraud. Opera star Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly) is desperate to communicate with her daughter (Rowan Robinson) who committed suicide. The night takes a seemingly supernatural turn as murders ensue with no obvious explanations.

Oscar-winning Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir will send shivers down your spine with her magnificent score. With A Haunting in Venice, Guðnadóttir takes the reins from Patrick Doyle, who did Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. Branagh "was very clear that he wanted the film to be very different from the other two films.

Kenneth Branagh returns as Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot in the terrifying murder mystery, A Haunting in Venice. The famed Belgian sleuth is lured out of retirement by crime novelist Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey). Bereaved opera star Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly), whose daughter Alicia (Rowan Robinson) committed suicide, has invited spiritual medium Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh) to host a séance. Oliver wants the skeptical Poirot to prove that Reynolds is a fraud. He accepts the challenge but is confronted with seemingly supernatural forces as the night devolves into several baffling murders.

James Prichard is the Chairman and CEO of Agatha Christie Limited. The iconic author's great-grandson spoke with MovieWeb about adapting her 1969 novel Hallowe'en Party into A Haunting in Venice. Prichard credits screenwriter Michael Greene, who'd also done Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, with putting "his case forward" to "do something different." He wanted "a...

The following contains spoilers for A Haunting in Venice, which is now playing in theaters.

A Haunting in Venice is the latest entry in Kenneth Branagh's Agatha Christie cinematic universe. The film takes inspiration from the Agatha Christie novel Hallowe'en Party. Just like the film adaptations of Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, A Haunting in Venice changes many details from the original book. Yet A Haunting in Venice is currently the adaptation that deviates farthest from the original book.

A Haunting in Venice includes many of the original characters from Hallowe'en Party. Yet some of their stories were changed for the film adaptation. At the same time, A Haunting in Venice introduced new characters that don't appear in Hallowe'en Party. And while the essence of most characters stays the same, A Haunting in Venice even made some changes to the final reveal as well.

Warning: Spoilers for A Haunting In Venice

A Haunting In Venice reveals the identity of the killer in the opening scene, making it easy for viewers to guess. The movie differs from the source novel in terms of characters and setting, with almost every character being different from their book counterpart. Despite being a strong Poirot adaptation, A Haunting In Venice fails to hide the guilt of the killer, making the killer's identity easily discernible.

While director/star Kenneth Branagh’s A Haunting In Venice is arguably his best Hercule Poirot adaptation so far, the murder mystery inexplicably reveals the identity of the killer in its opening scene. A Haunting In Venice is the third Agatha Christie adaptation to come from director Kenneth Branagh. The screen veteran brought together another impressive ensemble cast for this loose adaptation of Christie’s later Hercule Poirot novel, Hallowe’en Party. Hallowe’en Party is an atypically cynical,...

Major spoilers below for both "A Haunting in Venice" and Agatha Christie's "The Hallowe'en Party."

Officially, "A Haunting in Venice" is an adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1969 novel "The Hallowe'en Party," but is it really? The book has a different setting, a different (sort of) killer, a different motive, a different inciting incident, different themes, and a completely different atmosphere. There is no séance in the book, nor is Poirot ever forced to question whether or not he truly believes in the supernatural.

It naturally leads to the question of why director Kenneth Branagh and screenwriter Michael Green even bothered to make an adaptation of this book in the first place. Wouldn't it have been easier to not credit a specific book at all, and just say this movie was inspired by Christie's books in general? Why say you're adapting "The Hallowe'en Party" if you're not going to keep anything from it?...

Warning: This article contains Spoilers for A Haunting in Venice.

Katherine, Hercule Poirot's first wife and great love, haunts him throughout A Haunting in Venice, impacting his relationships and beliefs. Katherine died in a train accident while on her way to visit Poirot in the hospital, leaving him closed off from love and full of guilt. Poirot's personal isolation and lack of faith in the afterlife stem from the loss of Katherine and his belief that everyone he loves dies.

While Hercule Poirot encounters a number of spooky specters in A Haunting In Venice, the ghost that haunts him the most is a woman from his past named Katherine. In the latest Kenneth Branagh adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel, Michelle Yeoh's fraudulent medium Joyce Reynolds attempts to flex her perceptive powers by discussing Poirot's past ties to death, and she name-drops "Katherine". To viewers who did not see...

So we’re really committing to this cinematic Poirotverse, huh? Ok.

The Belgian detective Hercule Poirot is arguably Agatha Christie’s finest creation, next to her own persona of Agatha Christie, Queen of the Whodunit. He’s been played by everybody from Tony Randall to John Malkovich; Peter Ustinov portrayed the deductive sleuth six times, and David Suchet has made a career out of gifting TV viewers with the definitive take on Christie’s murder-mystery icon. He’s graced 33 novels and 51 short stories, which means that Kenneth Branagh — the actor-filmmaker...

A Halloween feast awaits in Kenneth Branagh’s A Haunting in Venice, seamlessly blending the otherworldly allure of the supernatural with the enduring charm of Agatha Christie’s murder mysteries. Guided by the impeccable Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, we journey into the enigmatic depths of Venice’s canals to solve a murder mystery of paranormal proportions. The film promises a tantalizing séance of suspense, offering spectral surprises alongside a nostalgic ode to vintage Halloween that’s positively bewitching.

“…positively bewitching.”

A Haunting in Venice takes us back to 1947, where a disillusioned Poirot (Branagh) finds himself retired in the enchanting city of Venice, a far cry from the exotic locales of his previous adventures. He’s reluctantly pulled back into the world of detection by his ever-persistent friend, Ariadne Oliver, portrayed by comedienne Tina Fey. Oliver persuades Poirot to attend a Halloween party hosted by enigmatic former opera singer Rowena Drake,...

Kenneth Branagh's newest film, "A Haunting in Venice" is his spookiest to date. Based on the 1969 novel "Hallowe'en Party," "Haunting" sees Hercule Poirot (Branagh) hauled out of retirement by a mystery author named Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) to investigate the veracity of an itinerant psychic named Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh). Joyce Reynolds has been hired by a wealthy Venitian socialite named Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly) to attend a Halloween party for children and, once the lights are out, host a séance. Poirot and Ariadne don't believe Joyce has authentic psychic powers, but can't prove she doesn't. 

There are about seven other main characters, each with a mystery or a personal tragedy of their own.

The bulk of "A Haunting in Venice" takes place in Rowena Drake's labyrinthine, shadowy Venetian manse, with Poirot exploring its many secret passageways and darkened corridors. As this is a murder mystery, one of the...

Hercule Poirot is one of the cinema’s most beloved detectives. Over the years, there have been sixteen different versions of his numerous stories. Each one has its own level of appreciation among fans. Director Kenneth Branagh’s versions attempt a new take for modern audiences. On his third adventure, Branagh takes his Poirot to investigate a Haunting in Venice. This case will take Poirot on a path of discovery that the detective never expected.

Detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is now retired in a post-World War II Venice. In a self-proclaimed exile, Poirot crosses paths with an old friend, author Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey), to attend a séance. Hosted by Heiress and widow Rowena Drake (Kelly Reily), she calls renowned psychic Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh) to help her speak to her deceased daughter Alicia (Rowan Robinson). After Poirot debunks the seance as a hoax, he shares a final word with Ms.

(L-r): Riccardo Scamarcio as Vitale Portfoglio and Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot in 20th Century Studios’ A Haunting In Venice. Photo by Rob Youngson. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Agatha Christie fans will delight in A Haunting In Venice, because Kenneth Branagh really hits the mark with this one.

Branagh has directed and starred a few of these Christie classic mysteries as Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, featuring star casts and a big, splashy out-sized approach (including Branagh version of Poirot’s famous mustache). Those films have been based on very familiar Agatha Christie mysteries, the ones that have been done, on big screen and small, many times before over the years, which meant they invited comparison, sometimes unfavorable, to some stellar films and productions.

With A Haunting In Venice, Branagh takes a different tack. This Agatha Christie mystery film is based on a less-familiar Poirot mystery, Christie’s “Hallowe’en Party,...

Warning: This post contains major spoilers for A Haunting in Venice

A Haunting in Venice reveals that Rowena Drake is responsible for the murders and her motive was to prevent her daughter from leaving her. Ariadne and Vitale are working together to profit from Poirot's presence and solve the case for closure. The ending sets up a potential sequel as Poirot decides to come out of retirement and take on another murder mystery.

A Haunting in Venice’s ending reveals the killer’s identity and motives. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, who returns to the role of Hercule Poirot for the third time, A Haunting in Venice confirms Rowena Drake’s role in all three murders. Poirot, who was invited to the séance to debunk Joyce Reynolds’ work as a medium, figures out that Rowena had been poisoning her daughter Alicia with the honey from rhododendron flowers, which were hallucinogenic...

Massive spoilers for "A Haunting in Venice" follow.

The adventures of Hercule Poirot — "probably the greatest detective in the world," as he once so humbly referred to himself — have been well documented by this point. Beginning with Agatha Christie's literary accounts of the detective's cases, the character continued to thrive beyond his creator's passing in 1976, with other authors concocting new mysteries for Poirot to solve.

Of course, Christie's Poirot output, stretching as it did from 1920-1975, was ripe for adaptation to other mediums, and indeed Poirot has turned up numerous times in everything from stage plays to radio dramas to television shows to, of course, the movies. By the time director/star Kenneth Branagh made his way to bringing Poirot back to the big screen on both sides of the camera, most of the best Poirot stories had already been adapted in one form or another.

Cleverly, Branagh and...

A Haunting in Venice has Agatha Christie's Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) lured out of his Italian retirement. A visit from mystery writer Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) offers a puzzling opportunity. Renowned psychic and spiritual medium Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh) has been invited to conduct a séance. Opera star Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly) has been distraught since the suicidal drowning of her daughter Alicia (Rowan Robinson). She hopes Reynolds can communicate with her tortured soul. Oliver thinks Reynolds might actually have supernatural abilities. She needs Poirot to attend the séance and somehow prove that Reynolds is a fraud.

Cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos collaborates with Branagh for their ninth film together and third in the Poirot franchise. A Haunting in Venice looks absolutely incredible. It marks a dramatic tonal shift with horror elements added to the expected murder mystery. Zambarloukos felt "slightly limited" with a "smaller budget" but thought they...

Hercule Poirot does not have the same step he used to. But, much to his clear intent, neither does Kenneth Branagh. While barely 18 months have passed since we last saw Branagh and his fabulous Belgian mustache in Death on the Nile, that second turn as Poirot for the director/actor was so delayed due to Covid and industry politics that it outlived 20th Century Fox by nearly three years. In the interim, Branagh moved on to other things and other distractions, including an Oscar he picked up for Belfast.

So, like his onscreen detective, Branagh has had a great deal of time to meditate on choices made—and those yet to be pursued. This may be one of the reasons A Haunting in Venice is such a different beast from its predecessors. Like the filmmaker’s previous whodunit efforts, Nile and 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express, Venice is an...

In "A Haunting in Venice," Hercule Poirot (star and director Kenneth Branagh) is tired. He is tired of solving murders. He is tired of the entire concept of death and dying. He wonders if this should be the last time he tries to solve a case. And as a viewer, you can't help but agree with him - he should stop there.

"A Haunting in Venice" is billed as an adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Hallowe'en Party," but the movie has almost nothing to do with that story, changing most of the details of the characters and their relationships to each other. Branagh's film is set in the early days after World War II, and Poirot has retired from crime solving. Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly) is holding a Halloween party for the city's orphans - a morbid reminder of the cost of war - and after the children are gone,...

The whodunit is back.

At least that seems to be the case in recent years with the success of Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot movies—the third one, A Haunting in Venice, hits theaters this week—Rian Johnson’s Knives Out thrillers, and even TV shows like Only Murders in the Building. But according to someone who should know, the great-grandson of legendary murder mystery writer Agatha Christie, the classic detective story subgenre has never quite gone away.

“I would say that the movie industry came to the game late,” says James Prichard, a man who is not only Christie’s descendant but also the chairman and CEO of Agatha Christie Ltd., which manages the literary and media rights to his great-grandmother’s works. “We’ve never gone away, we’ve been making stuff all through the last 10, 20, 30 years. But we didn’t make a movie for a very long time.

If you were hoping A Haunting in Venice has a scene after the credits, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, as there isn't one. Once again, Kenneth Branagh has returned as Hercule Poirot — and his latest mystery has a touch of the supernatural. A Haunting in Venice is based on the novel Hallowe'en Night by Agatha Christie, though it takes more than a few liberties with the source material. Retired and living in Venice, Poirot is approached by his old author friend Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) with a challenge. Ariadne seeks to disprove the work of Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh), an alleged medium for the dead and invites Poirot to a children's Halloween party at the house of former opera singer Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly). Naturally, murder ensues and Poirot must put his detective skills to the test. This time is unlike any other case though, as Poirot may not only...

Kenneth Branagh's third outing as Agatha Christie's Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot is a captivating murder mystery with bona fide horror scares. A Haunting in Venice, adapted from the 1969 novel Hallowe'en Party, will send shivers down your spine as a devilish plot twists and turns along a supposedly supernatural path. Poirot, the epitome of reason and logical deduction, faces a spellbinding test of his investigative abilities when unexplainable events lead to a baffling series of murders. The beautifully shot Italian settings coupled with superb performances from a venerated, all-star ensemble delivers frightening fun and cinematic splendor.

A Haunting in Venice opens after World War II, with Poirot living comfortably in retirement. He ignores the gawking crowds of onlookers loitering outside his luxurious villa. Poirot's morning routine cannot be interrupted by the bothersome; those desperate for his services or an autograph are rudely tossed aside. Vitale Portfoglio (Riccardo Scamarcio), a former Italian poliziotto,...

A Haunting in Venice is the third of Kenneth Branagh's Agatha Christie adaptations. It's also arguably the most interesting of the three, with enough visual flair to make up for its storytelling shortcomings. With a keen focus on melding the classic detective Hercule Poirot with a more modern haunted house film, Branagh delivers a slightly underbaked but consistently compelling mystery. Directed well and bolstered by strong performances -- albeit with a script that seems less interested in character than theme -- A Haunting in Venice is a solid addition to both the modern horror and mystery genre.

A Haunting in Venice sees Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) retired from active detective work in post-wwii Venice. Despite his inherent reluctance, the former detective is approached about attending a séance by his old friend Ariande Oliver (Tina Fey), a mystery author who helped spread his fame on a global scale. Although he's doubtful...

[Editor's Note: This article was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the film being discussed here wouldn't exist.]

Color me surprised to find A Haunting in Venice is a better horror movie than a nefarious whodunit. Maybe that’s unfair because Kenneth Branagh helmed 1994’s Frankenstein starring Robert De Niro and 1991’s Dead Again — he’s no genre novice, nor does his third Agatha Christie adaptation convey as much. Christie’s lesser-discussed Hercule Poirot novel “Hallowe’en Party” becomes a chilling Italian ghost story worth more as a supernatural investigation than a private detective caper. That’s not to say Branagh challenges The Exorcist or Poltergeist in terms of scare factors — atmospheric Halloween mysticism outshines a more predictable tale of masterful deduction.

Writer Michael Green’s adapted screenplay does a splendid job of tweaking Poirot’s mission for Branagh’s second sequel. The famous Belgian investigator has retired in Venice, beckoned to a séance by his mystery novelist friend Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey). Poirot is a man of factual reason and clear explanations,...

Director and star Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot gets reeled into another whodunnit in A Haunting in Venice. Unlike predecessors Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, the latest Agatha Christie adaptation trades in larger-scaled extravagance for a more intimate location that fully embraces the Baroque moodiness of its Halloween setting. While A Haunting in Venice might offer Poirot’s least engaging mystery yet, it’s offset by Branagh’s firm commitment to a spooky, claustrophobic atmosphere.

Meticulous detective Hercule Poirot (Branagh) now lives in Venice, enjoying the retired life in 1947, until an old friend, American novelist Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey), comes calling. Working on her latest book, Ariadne talks Hercule into accompanying her to an All Hallows Eve séance hosted by renowned opera singer Rowena Drake (Kelly Reilly). Rowena has enlisted medium Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh) to contact the spirit of her daughter, who drowned under...

If there’s a prime example of a franchise getting better with every movie, Kenneth Branagh’s Agatha Christie universe is a prime example. Starting in 2017 with the generic “Murder on the Orient Express,” it’s sequel, the 2022 feature “Death on the Nile” was rollicking fun if only for how horny it was in its themes and presentation. But, surprisingly, Branagh followed that up with a dark and somber haunted house story, “A Haunting in Venice” that, if anything, showcases both his impassioned love for Christie’s work and ability to tell a truly spooky film.

Acclaimed detective Hercule Poirot (Branagh) is in a bit of a slump. It’s 1947 and Poirot spends his days avoiding mysteries and eating cake. But things change when his old friend Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) comes calling, asking Poirot to witness a seance led by psychic medium Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh). Reynolds hopes to...

The whodunnit genre has been on a hell of a run since “Knives Out” hit theaters in 2019. Rian Johnson’s witty, socially conscious murder mystery became an electrifying cultural phenomenon — and reminded a cinematic universe-loving Hollywood that a repeatable formula involving rotating ensemble casts and picturesque settings could be great for business. But America’s fascination with the twisty adventures of Benoit Blanc makes it easy to forget that there’s been another studio-backed whodunnit franchise at the multiplexes for the past half-decade.

Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot series — which began with 2017’s “Murder on the Orient Express” and continued with last year’s superior “Death on the Nile” — has emerged as a straightforward alternative for mystery purists turned off by the flashiness of the “Knives Out” films. While Johnson keeps reminding us that murder mysteries are living, breathing entities that can push narrative boundaries and make us laugh and...

Kenneth Branagh’s A Haunting in Venice is set over one night in 1947. World War II has mercifully ended, but peace on the streets of Venice is being interrupted by another kind of invasion: Halloween trick-or-treaters. As the mystery novelist Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) cheekily suggests to her friend, the famed, mustachioed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Branagh), the Americans may have left, but their holiday traditions stayed behind.

Halloween wasn’t invented by the Americans. Nor was the tradition of playing dress-up, or telling scary stories in the dark. And that misleading narrative says something about Ariadne’s predilection for spinning a yarn as much as it does the film’s penchant for easy shortcuts and weak suppositions. At its best, A Haunting in Venice, the third of Branagh’s Agatha Christie adaptations, seductively draws us in with evocative, highly textured period details, but at its worst, it’s frequently...

Online movie ticket retailer Fandango dropped their Most Anticipated Fall & Horror Movie Survey this Am with Disney’s The Marvels and Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes leading the list. Both respectively hit cinemas on Nov. 10 and 17. With Dune: Part Two out of the way on Nov. 4, you’d think someone would move up their blockbuster and take advantage of another week of Imax.

Fandango surveyed 2,000 participants. Here’s their lists:

Most Anticipated Fall Movies:

The Marvels (Nov. 10) The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (Nov. 17) The Equalizer 3 (Sept. 1) A Haunting in Venice (Sept. 15) Killers of the Flower Moon (Oct. 20) My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (Sept 8) The Expendables 4 (Sept. 22) The Exorcist: Believer (Oct. 6) Saw X (Sept. 29) Five Nights at Freddy’s (Oct. 27)

Most Anticipated Movies from Returning Franchises:

Hercule Poirot Movies The Equalizer (that pic already opened to $42M over the...

A Haunting in Venice is the upcoming sequel to Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. The supernatural and mystery film marks the return of Kenneth Branagh as the iconic Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. In A Haunting in Venice, Poirot is now retired and must investigate a murder that happened at a séance he attended.

A Haunting in Venice is based on Agatha Christie's Hallowe'en Party. The film will introduce another recurring character in Agatha Christie's novels, writer Ariadne Oliver. It features an ensemble cast that includes Michelle Yeoh and Tina Fey, who will bring to life characters from the novel. And, much like in Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, A Haunting in Venice introduces some original characters created for the film as well.

Related: Kenneth Branagh's Poirot Films Could Start a Cinematic Universe

Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot

Kenneth...

Kenneth Branagh returns as Hercule Poirot in the third movie of the series, A Haunting in Venice, where Poirot is living in exile and must solve a murder after attending a séance. The star-studded cast of A Haunting in Venice includes Michelle Yeoh, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, and Kelly Reilly, adding to the movie's intrigue and appeal. A Haunting in Venice introduces new characters and changes elements from the original novel, demonstrating Kenneth Branagh's ability to reinvent the story while staying true to Agatha Christie's legacy.

The third movie in Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot series is on its way with the A Haunting in Venice cast continuing the trend of a star-studded murder mystery ensemble based on Agatha Christie's 1969 novel Hallowe'en Party. Following Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, Branagh returns as director for this third adaptation of Agatha Christie’s work...

It seemed like the Gargoyles were finally making it back to the screen in live-action format, but hopes were quickly dashed by animated series creator Greg Weisman.

The show aired from 1994 to 1997, with a total of 78 episodes spread over 3 seasons. And even when there have already been several side stories based on the show, even in other formats, fans have been asking for a continuation, a reboot or a live-action adaptation since forever.

The show centered on a group of Gargoyles in the year 994, working as protectors of a castle under the leadership of Goliath. But they are betrayed, suffering great losses and only a few remaining to form the army of stone beings. As if that were not enough, the survivors are victims of a powerful spell that turns them into stone permanently. In the present, 1994 at the time, a billionaire moves much of the castle to his skyscraper in New York,...

It's fair to say that whodunits making a comeback wasn't something to be expected. Yet, with the monumental success of the Knives Out series and the many adaptations of Agatha Christie's novels, it seems like they're here to stay for a few more years. The latter, in particular, has been around for over half a decade, starting with 2017's Murder on the Orient Express. Now, only a year out from A Death on the Nile, we have the next big entry in this murderous mystery franchise.

Originally announced in Spring 2022, A Haunting in Venice will feature the return of director and lead actor Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot. Having retired after the events of A Death on the Nile, he's now tasked with solving a murder at a spiritual séance. But, if things weren't already a little unsettling, there's one little detail we neglected to mention: the séance will take place on Halloween night.

Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot in 20th Century Studios’ A Haunting In Venice. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

The chilling teaser trailer and poster for Kenneth Branagh’s “A Haunting in Venice,” screened for convention attendees at the 2023 CinemaCon Convention in Las Vegas this week. The unsettling supernatural thriller based upon the novel “Hallowe’en Party” by Agatha Christie and directed by and starring Oscar® winner Kenneth Branagh as famed detective Hercule Poirot, will open in theaters nationwide September 15, 2023.

In addition, Branagh announced that Hildur Guđnadóttir, the acclaimed composer from Iceland who won an Oscar, Golden Globe®, Grammy®, and BAFTA for “Joker” and an Emmy® and Grammy for “Chernobyl,” and who most recently scored “TÁR” and “Women Talking,” will compose the score.

“A Haunting in Venice” is set in eerie, post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve and is a terrifying mystery...

Spoilers for Agatha Christie’s Poirot novel Hallowe’en Party

The next Kenneth Branagh Poirot movie, A Haunting In Venice, is based on the Agatha Christie novel Hallowe’en Party, a twisty mystery with a killer ending. Agatha Christie remains one of the best-selling authors in history, and the peculiar detective Hercule Poirot is perhaps the most famous creation of the prolific author's storied career. A veritable master of murder mysteries, Poirot solved over 80 cases in Christie’s many novels, plays, and short stories. The quirky character has been portrayed onscreen by almost a dozen different actors. Over the decades, David Suchet, Albert Finney, and Peter Ustinov vied to provide the definitive take on Poirot.

Now, director/actor Kenneth Branagh’s Poirot is the latest take on the iconic character to hit screens. Branagh’s Poirot movies to date have been a pair of big-budget, starry murder mysteries, 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express...

The chilling teaser trailer for Kenneth Branagh’s ‘A Haunting in Venice,’ was screened for convention attendees at the 2023 CinemaCon Convention in Las Vegas, is available now.

The unsettling supernatural thriller based upon the novel “Hallowe’en Party” by Agatha Christie and directed by and starring Oscar® winner Kenneth Branagh as famed detective Hercule Poirot, will open in cinemas on September 15, 2023.

(L-r): Riccardo Scamarcio as Vitale Portfoglio, Camille Cottin as Olga Seminoff, Jude Hill as Leopold Ferrier, Tina Fey as Ariadne Oliver, Kelly Reilly as Rowena Drake, Emma Laird as Desdemona Holland, Ali Khan as Nicholas Holland, and Kyle Allen as Maxime Gerard. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

The film is set in eerie, post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve and is a terrifying mystery featuring the return of the celebrated sleuth, Hercule Poirot. Now retired and living in self-imposed...

If you’ve ever wondered what Hercule Poirot might make of being dropped into, say, the Insidious universe – shows everyone’s favourite Belgian pogonophile being drawn into a world of ghouls, spirits and creepy-looking kids. _A Haunting in Venice is set over one long, dark night: Halloween 1947, to be precise. In the City of Masks, a palazzo with a dark past draws together people looking for answers to the mysterious disappearance of a young girl – a group including Poirot himself. Usually a sceptic, he’s forced to question what’s real and what’s imagined, and whether there are forces beyond his formidable intellect out there.

It’s based on a later story of Agatha Christie’s, Halloween Party, one which hasn’t been adapted often and which invited screenwriter Michael Green to go full-bore horror. “When I read his screenplay, it was really spine-chilling,” Branagh tells Empire when he...

Shortly after debuting the A Haunting in Venice teaser trailer at CinemaCon – the annual convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners – 20th Century Studios brought the intense, nearly two-minute trailer online. The studio also released a teaser poster and stills from the upcoming supernatural thriller directed by Kenneth Branagh and based on Agatha Christie’s Hallowe’en Party.

Branagh reprises his role as Hercule Poirot after playing the iconic detective in 2022’s Death on the Nile and 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express. The impressive ensemble also includes Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Kelly Reilly (Yellowstone), Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey (30 Rock), Kyle Allen (Rosaline), Camille Cottin (Call My Agent), Jude Hill (Belfast), Ali Khan (6 Underground), Emma Laird (Mayor of Kingstown), and Riccardo Scamarcio (Caravaggio’s Shadow).

Oscar nominee Michael Green (Logan) adapted Agatha Christie’s novel and Branagh, Judy Hofflund, Ridley Scott, and Simon Kinberg serve as producers.

A supernatural-thriller inspired by Agatha Christie’s novel Hallowe’en Party, Oscar® winning filmmaker Kenneth Branagh (“Belfast”) directs A Haunting in Venice, which brings the iconic character Hercule Poirot out on the high seas for a terrifying horror adventure.

This is the first horror movie from Branagh since Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein back in 1994, grafting a spooky skin onto his critically acclaimed tales of Hercule Poirot. You know horror is hot when Oscar winning filmmakers are making horror movies, and it’s always exciting to see non-horror franchises dipping their toes into the genre. Watch the trailer below.

Featuring a screenplay by Oscar nominee Michael Green (“Logan”), A Haunting in Venice was filmed at Pinewood Studios outside London and on location in Venice.

A brilliant acting ensemble portraying a cast of unforgettable characters will be featured, including Kenneth Branagh, Kyle Allen (“Rosaline”), Camille Cottin (“Call My Agent”), Jamie Dornan (“Belfast...

(See previous post: Fourth of July Movies: Escapism During a Weird Year.) On the evening of the Fourth of July, besides fireworks, fire hazards, and Yankee Doodle Dandy, if you're watching TCM in the U.S. and Canada, there's the following: Peter H. Hunt's 1776 (1972), a largely forgotten film musical based on the Broadway hit with music by Sherman Edwards. William Daniels, who was recently on TCM talking about 1776 and a couple of other movies (A Thousand Clowns, Dodsworth), has one of the key roles as John Adams. Howard Da Silva, blacklisted for over a decade after being named a communist during the House Un-American Committee hearings of the early 1950s (Robert Taylor was one who mentioned him in his testimony), plays Benjamin Franklin. Ken Howard is Thomas Jefferson, a role he would reprise in John Huston's 1976 short Independence. (In the short, Pat Hingle was cast as John Adams; Eli Wallach was Benjamin Franklin.) Warner...

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Joan Fontaine movies: ‘This Above All,’ ‘Letter from an Unknown Woman’ (photo: Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine in ‘Suspicion’ publicity image) (See previous post: “Joan Fontaine Today.”) Also tonight on Turner Classic Movies, Joan Fontaine can be seen in today’s lone TCM premiere, the flag-waving 20th Century Fox release The Above All (1942), with Fontaine as an aristocratic (but socially conscious) English Rose named Prudence Cathaway (Fontaine was born to British parents in Japan) and Fox’s top male star, Tyrone Power, as her Awol romantic interest. This Above All was directed by Anatole Litvak, who would guide Olivia de Havilland in the major box-office hit The Snake Pit (1948), which earned her a Best Actress Oscar nod. In Max Ophüls’ darkly romantic Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), Fontaine delivers not only what is probably the greatest performance of her career, but also one of the greatest movie performances ever. Letter from an Unknown Woman...

Paul Henreid: From Eleanor Parker to ‘The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse’ (photo: Paul Henreid and Eleanor Parker in ‘Between Two Worlds’) Paul Henreid returns this evening, as Turner Classic Movies’ Star of the Month of July 2013. In Of Human Bondage (1946), he stars in the old Leslie Howard role: a clubfooted medical student who falls for a ruthless waitress (Eleanor Parker, in the old Bette Davis role). Next on TCM, Henreid and Eleanor Parker are reunited in Between Two Worlds (1944), in which passengers aboard an ocean liner wonder where they are and where the hell (or heaven or purgatory) they’re going. Hollywood Canteen (1944) is a near-plotless, all-star showcase for Warner Bros.’ talent, a World War II morale-boosting follow-up to that studio’s Thank Your Lucky Stars, released the previous year. Last of the Buccaneers (1950) and Pirates of Tripoli (1955) are B pirate movies. The former is an uninspired affair,...

Eleanor Parker Now on TCM Palms Springs area resident Eleanor Parker, who turns 91 next June 26, is Turner Classic Movies’ Star of the Month of June. One of the best actresses of Hollywood’s studio era, Parker isn’t nearly as well-remembered today as she should be despite three Best Actress Academy Award nominations (Caged, 1950; Detective Story, 1951; Interrupted Melody, 1955), a number of box-office and/or critical hits, and a key role in one of the biggest blockbusters of all time (The Sound of Music). Hopefully, the 34 Eleanor Parker movies TCM will be showing each Monday this month — beginning tonight — will help to introduce the actress to a broader 21st-century audience. Eleanor Parker movies "When I am spotted somewhere it means that my characterizations haven’t covered up Eleanor Parker the person. I prefer it the other way around," Parker once said. In fact, the title of Doug McClelland’s 1989 Eleanor Parker bio,...

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