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If you like mysteries, true crime, and drama, then Britbox’s newest series—a screenwriting debut from Broadchurch actor Andrew Buchan—is for you. Starring Wunmi Mosaku (Loki) as Former Met Police Detective Riya Ajunwa, Passenger takes you to the fictional Northern town of Chadder Vale where strange crimes are becoming the norm for its inhabitants (and not in a good way). Riya, who has been looking for that “one big crime” to reinvigorate her since arriving in the town five years ago, soon gets her wish when a local girl named Katie Wells (Rowan Robinson) mysteriously disappears…and returns the next day, safe and sound. But for Riya, the nightmare and mystery is just beginning. “It didn’t feel like anything I’d read or seen as of late,” Barry Sloane, who plays Katie’s father, Eddie Wells, told TVInsider during a chat at New York Comic Con. “All the characters I understood,...

“This isn’t ‘Twin Peaks,’ love.” “You’re like ‘Vera,’ boss.” “This is not ‘Broadchurch.’” BritBox’s new acquisition “Passenger” was obviously determined to stay one step ahead of critics, constantly namechecking the shows it has since inevitably drawn comparisons with. It could have referenced a dozen others, too. The dystopian conspiracies of “Black Mirror,” for example, or the supernatural mysteries of “Stranger Things.” Pop culture literates may also be reminded of everything from “The X Files” and “True Detective” to “Fargo” and even British rural soap opera “Emmerdale.”

In fact, actor Andrew Buchan has thrown everything but the kitchen sink into his screenwriting debut, also flitting between dysfunctional family drama, small-town social commentary, and broad workplace comedy. A cookie-cutter procedural this is not.

Glueing all the many disparate strands together is Riya Ajunwa (Wunmi Mosaku), a no-nonsense Northern cop whose job satisfaction levels are at an all-time low. “A cat with a cough?...

BritBox has released a chilling eight-minute clip from Passenger, which will premiere on the streaming service on Thursday, October 17. The first two episodes will be available to stream that day at 9:00 p.m. Et.

The premiere episode will screen at New York Comic Con on October 17, followed by a panel with the cast and creator. The screening will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Room 409 at Nycc.

Written by debut screenwriter Andrew Buchan, best known for acting in Broadchurch, The Honourable Woman, and Better, Passenger explores a close-knit community unwilling to face its fears of change, outsiders, and the unknown.

Set in the fictional small Northern town of Chadder Vale, Former Met Police Detective Riya Ajunwa (Wunmi Mosaku) investigates a series of strange and inexplicable crimes that have the townsfolk spinning on an axis.

Riya arrived in decaying Chadder Vale five years ago and has since been searching for that ‘one big crime,...

“Dark Matter” Renewed for Season 2

There are many more realities to explore within Apple TV’s “Dark Matter,” and the streamer has announced it’ll do just that following a Season 2 renewal of the critically acclaimed sci-fi series.

Based on the novel of the same name by bestselling author and showrunner Blake Crouch, “Dark Matter” follows Jason Dessen (played by Joel Edgerton), a physicist, professor, and family man who, one night while walking home on the streets of Chicago, is abducted into an alternate version of his life. As he tries to return to his reality “amid the mind-bending landscape of lives he could have lived,” he embarks on a harrowing journey to get back to his true life and to his family to “save them from the most terrifying, unbeatable foe imaginable: himself.”

Watch the trailer for “Dark Matter” Season 1 below:

Jennifer Connelly stars opposite Edgerton, as well as Alice Braga,...

Today, BritBox International announced that Passenger will premiere on Thursday, October 17. The first two episodes will be available to stream on the platform at 9:00 p.m. Et.

The premiere episode will screen at New York Comic Con, followed by a panel with the cast and creator. BritBox also debuted the trailer and key art for the Original six-part limited series.

Written by debut screenwriter Andrew Buchan, best known for acting in Broadchurch, The Honourable Woman, and Better, Passenger explores a close-knit community unwilling to face its fears of change, outsiders, and the unknown.

Set in the fictional small Northern town of Chadder Vale, Former Met Police Detective Riya Ajunwa (Wunmi Mosaku) investigates a series of strange and inexplicable crimes that have the townsfolk spinning on an axis.

Courtesy of BritBox

Riya arrived in decaying Chadder Vale five years ago and has since been searching for that ‘one big crime,...

His House and “Lovecraft Country” star Wunmi Mosaku investigates a disappearance in upcoming crime mystery series “Passenger” that’s heading to BritBox this October. The streaming service unveiled a new “Passenger” trailer today, emphasizing the atmospheric strangeness of the setting.

“Passenger” will premiere October 17 on BritBox with an advanced special screening and panel at New York Comic Con. The six-episode mystery will roll out with two episodes dropping each Thursday until the October 31 finale.

The upcoming limited series hails from creator Andrew Buchan (“Broadchurch,” “Carnival Row”), marking the actor’s screenwriting debut.

It “explores a close-knit community who are unwilling to face their fears of change, of outsiders and of the unknown. Set in the fictional small Northern town of Chadder Vale, Former Met Police Detective Riya Ajunwa (Wunmi Mosaku) investigates a series of strange and inexplicable crimes that have the townsfolk spinning on an axis. Riya arrived in decaying...

"The sign posts are all there - whether we choose to see them or not." What is this strange black liquid in here? BritBox has debuted the first US teaser trailer for a British crime series titled Passenger, arriving for streaming in the US in October later this year. It first launched in the UK on ITV back in March - that's quite a long wait for it to arrive for streaming in the US but so be it. Wunmi Mosaku stars as the ambitious detective in this darkly comic and twisty crime drama. Strange crimes start happening in Chadder Vale, but who - or what is behind them? As a series of particularly odd happenings and increasingly shocking crimes start unfolding within the town, Riya fights hard to convince the local villagers that all is not as it seems. The series cast includes David Threlfall, Daniel Ryan, Jo Hartley,...

Today, BritBox, the premiere streaming destination for British television offering the biggest and best collection of unmissable British television, announced a dynamic slate of upcoming Original series.

Sharing a suspenseful teaser, BritBox announced that the thrilling new mystery Passenger, led by Wunmi Mosaku (Loki), will premiere in October. In the captivating screenwriting debut of actor Andrew Buchan (Broadchurch), inexplicable crimes haunt the fictional village of Chadder Vale, where perhaps more is afoot than meets the eye.

Barry Sloane (Revenge), David Threlfall (Shameless), and Rowan Robinson (A Haunting in Venice) also star in the atmospheric crime drama.

Summer will see the powerful return of gritty, impactful crime dramas, starting with the June 13 return of Blue Lights. A breakout hit in the UK, the Belfast-based series delves into complex local politics through the lens of a police drama.

Multi-bafta-nominated The Responder returns July 11 for a new season, once again led by Martin Freeman...

His House and “Lovecraft Country” star Wunmi Mosaku finds herself an outsider in upcoming crime mystery series “Passenger” that’s heading to BritBox this October. A brand new teaser trailer unveiled today highlights an unsettling atmosphere in the not-so-quaint, snowy town that’s haunted by crime.

The upcoming six-part series hails from creator Andrew Buchan, marking the actor’s screenwriting debut.

The series “explores a close-knit community who are unwilling to face their fears of change, of outsiders and of the unknown. Set in the fictional small Northern town of Chadder Vale, Former Met Police Detective Riya Ajunwa (Wunmi Mosaku) investigates a series of strange and inexplicable crimes that have the townsfolk spinning on an axis. Riya arrived in decaying Chadder Vale five years ago and has since been searching for that ‘one big crime’, the challenge that will make her feel alive again. Then one night local girl Katie Wells (Rowan Robinson) mysteriously disappears.

Twin Peaks. Sunnydale. Castle Rock. Hawkins… America’s TV monopoly on small towns where Weird Stuff Happens has gone on for too long. Britain was once home to The Wicker Man, Children of the Stones and The Prisoner, all classics of the ‘something’s not right here’ genre. Isn’t it about time the UK put a few creepy burgs back on the map?

Actor and debut screenwriter Andrew Buchan must think so, and his answer is ITV’s Passenger – a six-episode mystery series that’s Happy Valley meets…well, no spoilers here. Comedic and sinister with a terrific cast led by Loki’s Wunmi Mosaku, Passenger, from the producers of Gangs of London and Chernobyl, is a top binge-watch that’ll keep you entertained and guessing – hopefully into a second series and beyond.

Mosaku plays Riya, a police detective who, years earlier, left her job at the Manchester Met...

Actor Andrew Buchan makes his screenwriting debut with ITV thriller Passenger, and here’s the trailer.

Andrew Buchan is probably best known for playing grieving father Mark Latimer in Chris Chibnall’s whodunnit Broadchurch. He has also played the title role in drama The Fixer, as well as parts in films like Nowhere Boy, All The Money In The World and The Mercy.

He now makes his screenwriting debut with ITV thriller Passenger.

The synopsis reads as follows:

Riya (Loki star Wunmi Mosaku) arrived in the quiet town of Chadder Vale five years ago and has since been searching for something, anything that will make her feel alive again. Then one night local girl Katie Wells (Rowan Robinson) mysteriously disappears. The town barely has time to register her absence before she reappears the next day, apparently safe and sound. The townsfolk ask few questions and normal life resumes. But for Riya,...

Having spent some time working for the Time Variance Authority in Loki, you'd think Wunmi Mosaku would be ready for any strange happenings. But here, she's playing a former police detective investigating inexplicable crimes in rural Northern England. We're excited to share a first look at an exclusive first look at new drama Passenger.

The series is created by Andrew Buchan, and comes from Sister, the production company also responsible for This Is Going To Hurt and Chernobyl – with Mosaku leading the cast as former Met Police Detective Riya Ajunwa, digging into strange crimes that have been plaguing the fictional small Northern town of Chadder Vale.

Here's the official synopsis: "Riya arrived in the quiet town of Chadder Vale five years ago and has since been searching for something, anything that will make her feel alive again. Then one night local girl Katie Wells (Rowan Robinson) mysteriously disappears. The town...

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 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...

A Haunting in Venice is both the best Kenneth Branagh film and the best Agatha Christie adaptation in decades. Adapted from the famed mystery writer’s 1969 novel Hallowe’en Party, Branagh returns as Hercule Poirot, the iconic Belgian detective with a penchant for sweets and the world’s most mustachioed mustache. This time the year is 1947 and we are in the Floating City. World War II has just ended and the melancholy of death and despair hangs over everything, despite the beautiful setting.

Recently retired, Poirot is lured back into the game via frenemy Ariadne Oliver, an avatar for Christie herself. The two attend a seance thrown by Rowena Drake (a striking Kelly Reilly), an opera singer who has run out of money and reasons to live. Her daughter Alicia (Rowan Robinson) drowned in the canal just the year before. Rowena empowers the infamous, “unholy” witch Mrs. Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh...

Warning: this article discusses major spoilers for "A Haunting in Venice."

It's the moment everybody looks forward to during the trailer for director Kenneth Branagh's newest Hercule Poirot movie. A half-dozen or so A-listers have been crowded into a claustrophobically tight space in some exotic locale. Each character wears expressions that somehow ride the line between crushing guilt and sheer incredulity that they could ever be considered criminals. And, with a magnificent flourish, Branagh's immaculately-groomed mug turns to the camera and somberly pronounces through his thick, deeply-exaggerated Belgian accent: "There has been a murder, and you are all suspects!"

Despite beginning with its main detective in a far different emotional state than the previous films -- living out his days in self-exiled retirement after losing his taste for crime-solving -- "A Haunting in Venice" (reviewed by /Film's Josh Spiegel here) doesn't so much as reinvent the classic formula that brought...

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.

This article contains major spoilers for "A Haunting in Venice."

The murder mystery "whodunit" has very close ties to the horror genre; in fact, some may argue that murder mysteries deserve to be considered a part of the horror genre, full stop. It's splitting hairs, of course, but the question is one of tone and focus — most horror stories put a bigger emphasis on the act(s) of murder, while most mystery stories are about murder's after-effects.

"A Haunting in Venice" is the latest cinematic Agatha Christie adaptation by Kenneth Branagh in which he serves a dual role on both sides of the camera, as both director and actor portraying the central role of detective Hercule Poirot. Branagh's previous adaptations of Christie's Poirot mysteries, "Murder on the Orient Express" and "Death on the Nile," were films that fit neatly into the mystery genre and even, in a couple of instances,...

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...

Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot in ‘A Haunting in Venice’ (Photo © 2023 20th Century Studios)

Oscar winner Kenneth Branagh is back as the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, this time pulled out of retirement to possibly expose a phony séance, in the murder mystery A Haunting in Venice.

The film opens in 1947 with a retired Poirot living a relaxed and peaceful life in Venice when he’s visited by an old friend, mystery novelist Ariadne Oliver. Ariadne needs his talents and insists Poirot attend a Halloween party and séance with her at the palazzo of the famous opera singer Rowena Drake. Ariadne wants his help to prove or disprove that the medium, Mrs. Reynolds, is a fake.

During the party before the séance, Poirot meets Rowena and hears the tragic story of how her lovesick daughter, Alicia (Rowan Robinson), committed suicide by jumping off the balcony into the canal below. Rowena,...

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,...

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...