John Malkovich to Play Poirot in The ABC Murders Adaptation

John Malkovich and Rupert Grint are set to star in BBC One’s adaptation of The ABC Murders, Agatha Christie’s classic 1936 title.

Malkovich (Being John Malkovich, In the Line of Fire, Dangerous Liaisons) will lead the cast as Hercule Poirot. Grint (Harry Potter, Sick Note) will star as Inspector Crome. The one-off three-part drama marks the return of the Poirot character to TV and continues BBC One and Agatha Christie Limited’s production deal that will see Agatha Christie Limited and Mammoth Screen deliver six more Christie adaptations.

Sarah Phelps is adapting the work. Filming for The ABC Murders begins next month and will be directed by Alex Gabassi (The Frankenstein Chronicles, El Hipnotizador) and produced by Farah Abushwesha (Irreplaceable You, The Party).

James Prichard, executive producer and CEO of Agatha Christie Limited, said: “The ABC Murders is one of my great grandmother’s most unsettling and intense stories and Hercule Poirot one of her most intriguing characters. I am humbled by the quality of cast we have lined up for the show and I am most excited to experience the unique approach John Malkovich will bring to the role in this thrilling one-off television adaptation.”

Phelps, writer and executive producer, added: “Set in the seething, suspicious early 1930s, The ABC Murders is a brutal story of violence and lies, the long shadow of the past and the slaughter to come. At its center, one of the most familiar, famous characters in crime fiction. We may all think we know Poirot but do we really know Hercule?”

Piers Wenger, controller of BBC Drama, commented: “Over the last three years Sarah has breathed new life into some of Agatha Christie’s most renowned crime stories and we can’t wait for her to do the same with Christie’s most iconic detective, Hercule Poirot. We are utterly thrilled that John Malkovich has been persuaded to unleash his extraordinary abilities on this stellar role.”