october 25-31, 2020 the classics
TRANSCRIPT
DEATH ON THE NILESTARRING PETER USTINOV, MAGGIE SMITH, BETTE DAVIS
FORMAT FEATURE FILM
AGATHA CHRISTIE’S POIROT
There is little doubt that the 13-season series with David Suchet as the Belgian
detective with the egg-shaped head is the best known adaptation of Chris-
tie’s works. Since its debut on ITV in 1989, it ran for almost 25
years in 200 countries
STARRING DAVID SUCHET
FORMAT TV SERIES
STARRING ALBERT FINNEY, INGRID BERGMAN
FORMAT FEATURE FILM
The 1974 adaptation of one of Christie’s most beloved books revolves around the brutal murder of an American tycoon in the luxuri-ous Orient Express train, stuck in a snow drift. Albert Finney dons the role of Hercule Poirot, who must find out which of the passengers is guilty. The film fetched Ingrid Bergman the Oscar for best supporting actress
STARRING GERALDINE MCEWAN & JULIA MCKENZIE
FORMAT TV SERIES
A more recent ITV series which debuted in 2004 in the UK, it had two different actors in the title role. Though it started with direct adaptations from the Miss Marple novels, the later episodes included adap-tations of novels that did not originally feature her
MISS MARPLE
The BBC adaptation of all 12 of the novels featuring the wispy-haired Jane Marple of St Mary Mead village has Joan Hickson in the lead role. It was aired from 1984 to 1992. Christie had seen Hickson in a stage production of Appointment with Death and had written to her, “I hope one day you will play my dear Miss Marple”
STARRING JOAN HICKSON
FORMAT TV SERIES
AGATHA CHRISTIE’S MARPLE
10OCTOBER 25-31, 2020
centrespread centrespread 11OCTOBER 25-31, 2020
AGATHA IN INDIA
Ever since “Queen of Crime” Agatha Christie’s debut novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles, written exactly a century ago,
in 1920, was adapted eight years later, her bestsellers have inspired a host of filmmakers and writers. Vishal Bhardwaj is the
latest to join that long line, with his recent announcement that he will be embarking on a series of adaptations.
Take a look at some of the best-known screen adaptations of Christie’s thrillers:
:: Indulekha Aravind
THE PALE HORSE
The two-episode BBC mini series is adapted from the 1961 novel which does not feature either of Christie’s most famous detectives. With a good dash of the occult and horror, it debuted in February 2020
Bhardwaj’s will not be the
first Indian adaptation of
Christie’s works. Here are
some of its predecessors:
The Films: Gumnaam (Hindi), Nadu Iravil & Aduthathu (Tamil), Aatagara (Kannada)
The Inspiration:
And Then There Were None
DEATH ON THE NILE
The 1937 novel set on the SS Karnak cruise ship gets a reprisal in this new adaptation, set to be released in December 2020. This will be Branagh’s second portrayal of the Belgian detec-tive, after the 2017 adaptation of Mur-der on the Orient Express, which also starred Johnny Depp and Judi Dench
AND THEN THERE WERE NONEStarring: Douglas Booth, Maeve Dermody
Format: TV Series
Ten strangers are invited to an isolated island off the Devon
coast by a Mr and Mrs Owen, who never appear. Then the
guests start getting murdered, one by one. Considered
among the best Christie mysteries, the 2015 BBC adapta-
tion is the first screen version to incorporate the writer’s
original ending.
AND THEN THERE WERE NONE
Ten strangers are invited to an isolated island off the Devon coast by Mr and Mrs Owen, who never appear. Then the guests start getting murdered, one by one. Considered among the best Christie mysteries, the 2015 BBC adapta-tion is the first screen version to incorporate the writer’s original ending
CROOKED HOUSE
When the wealthy patriarch of a large family is murdered, his granddaughter commissions her former lover to find out who in the “Crooked House” did it, before Scotland Yard finds out the secrets of three generations of the family. The 2017 adaptation was written by Julian Fellowes and Tim Rose Price
The Film: Chupi Chupi Aashey (Bengali)
The Inspiration:
The Mousetrap
The Film: Dhund
(Hindi)
The Inspiration:
The Unexpected Guest
Source: Variety, www.agathachristie.com
The Films: Chorabali (Bengali)
The Inspiration:
Cards on the Table
The Film: Grandmaster
(Malayalam)
The Inspiration:
The ABC Murders
Vishal's Whodunnit
Vishal Bhardwaj is set to shoot his first
adaptation of Christie's works from early 2021The series will feature
a “new pair of lead
investigators”
A young heroine will team up with “an
unlikely companion”
AND THEN THERE WERE MANY
The 1978 British production sees the debut of Peter Ustinov as Poirot, who is supposed to be enjoying a holiday on a luxury steamer when an heiress is mysteriously killed. It’s up to Poirot to figure out which of his fellow passengers did it. The cast includes A-listers like Bette Davis, Maggie Smith and Mia Farrow
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
STARRING KENNETH BRANAGH, GAL GADOT
STARRING DOUGLAS BOOTH, MAEVE DERMODY
STARRING RUFUS SEWELL, KAYA SCOLEDARIO
FORMAT FEATURE FILM
FORMAT TV SERIES
STARRING GLENN CLOSE, MAX IRONS, GILLIAN ANDERSON
FORMAT FEATURE FILM
FORMAT MINI SERIES
CONTEMPORARY TWIST
THE CLASSICS