John Malkovich to play Poirot in THE ABC MURDERS!

GKCfanGKCfan Wisconsin, United States
edited May 2018 in All Poirot novels
Please discuss your reactions:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/john-malkovich-take-role-hercule-12585396
(Note: Sometimes that link doesn't work, but the same article can be found here: https://europe.easybranches.com/ireland/John-Malkovich-to-take-on-role-of-Hercule-Poirot-in-new-BBC-murder-mystery-381639)


Also, Rupert Grint, Andrew Buchan, and Tara Fitzgerald are cast in supporting roles.  Further casting will be announced later.
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Comments

  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    No Hastings and no Japp, I hope they are yet to be Cast and The Book doesn't have a Hermione Clarke does it?
  • GKCfanGKCfan Wisconsin, United States
    Lady Clarke is in the book– she's Sir Carmichael's terminally ill wife.  I don't recall her first name though.
  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    I remember now, Thankyou.
  • Luke Luke
    not sure what to make of this tbh, with the various SP adaptions, personally I'm getting tired that the tone has to be dark. I also don't know how you would improve on the Suchet version as that was extremely well done! 
  • GKCfanGKCfan Wisconsin, United States
    You're welcome, Tommy_A_Jones!
  • TheLastWordTheLastWord United Kingdom
    edited June 2018

    Hi

    Only just found this thread re Malkovich being cast in ABCMurders, having already! - oops! - created a post at another thread re ABCMurders, on exactly the same Malkovich point:

    http://community-archive.agathachristie.com/discussion/1185/sarah-phelps-to-adapt-the-abc-murders/p3?

    Oops! ,-)

    So, rather than repost my posting in this newer thread, have placed a link to that other posting&thread here: http://community-archive.agathachristie.com/post/quote/1185/Comment_15460)

    Basically, the gist of my comment is: John Malkovich as the refined Poirot?! Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!!

    ,-)

  • GKCfanGKCfan Wisconsin, United States
    What do you think of this promotional photo of Malkovich as Poirot?

    https://www.agathachristie.com/news/2018/first-look-john-malkovich-as-hercule-poirot
  • andreaandrea Roma,italy
    edited July 2018
    wow!!
  • andreaandrea Roma,italy
    c
  • PatMaternaPatMaterna CORDOVA
    Well, I have to say JM version of Poirot is a little more distinguished than KB in the latest Orient Express. But neither of them have the mustache correct. KB's was totally laughable and JM's is not any different than any other facial hair on thousands of faces...certainly not distinct and something he should be proud of. Let's see if the character JM creates is more memorable than KB's version which left a lot to be desired. 
  • tudestudes Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    Luke said:
    not sure what to make of this tbh, with the various SP adaptions, personally I'm getting tired that the tone has to be dark. I also don't know how you would improve on the Suchet version as that was extremely well done! 

    I agree with you. I think Suchet's version very well done and faith to the book. I don't see the point of another ABC murders. I think it would be nice to adapt another story as Cards on the table or The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (they´re weak adaptations).
  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

    There has only been one version, I would rather another version of something that has only been done once before rather than another version of Murder On The Orient Express which had been done with Albert Finney, Alfred Molina and David Suchet before Sir Kenneth Brannagh.

  • JS88JS88 Peterborough
    I think JM would be better cast as Inspector Japp, but he is a fine and versatile actor who doesn't take himself too seriously so fingers crossed. Just fearing the direction might take the same rout as KB's so we may see car chases through Central London etc. etc. As far as the tone is concerned, it is a fairly dark tale, not sure how it could be lightend up. As always with these things, we live in hope.
  • tudestudes Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    edited August 2018

    There has only been one version, I would rather another version of something that has only been done once before rather than another version of Murder On The Orient Express which had been done with Albert Finney, Alfred Molina and David Suchet before Sir Kenneth Brannagh.

    Viewed that way, you're right. We have four versions of Murder on the Orient Express and only two of ABC Murders. But the Suchet's version is a very good one (I don't see the other one).
  • GKCfanGKCfan Wisconsin, United States
    There's also been a French version in Les Petits Meutres d'Agatha Christie, but it's heavily changed from the book.  Poirot and Hastings are gone, and the killer has been changed.
  • tudestudes Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    Thanks, @GKCfan! I didn't know it!
  • rabbity300rabbity300 London,England
    when does it come out?

  • GKCfanGKCfan Wisconsin, United States
    rabbity300, right now, The ABC Murders is planned to come out around Christmas this year in the UK, and will most likely air in the US on Amazon Prime sometime in the early part of 2019.
  • JS88JS88 Peterborough
    Just seen the trailer. Poirot seems to have picked up a Scandinavian accent, and, yet again, appears to have traded his vanity and unerring selfassuredness for some form of gloomy pathos. Still expect to enjoy it anyway
  • CarterCarter West Sussex UK
    From today's Mail on Sunday:

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6523851/BBCs-new-Poirot-story-turned-anti-Brexit-propaganda-writers.html
  • JS88JS88 Peterborough
    Didn't the Mail also condem the recent Peter Rabbit film as a radical vegan polemic? No? Seriously though, adaptations of this kind are, as I think should be clear by now, only ever going to be 'based on' or 'adapted from'. The story is interpreted or used as a framework. A straight verbatim filming of the book is, to a certain degree, pointless. One should simply read the book for that. I was highly disappointed with Ken's MOTOE, but have since watched it a couple more times and as its own thing it's quite fun. Having said all that, this ABC Murders is somewhat too gloomy and hardly a Christmas feel good romp. I also think the flashbacks are more inspired by the WW1 100 year commemorations than anything else.
  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    I think JM would be better cast as a Murderer in a Christie.
  • willowview43willowview43 Exeter
    Was the BBC adaptation a pile of crap or is that just my opinion? They killed off Japp, put ABC in the middle of a brothel and made Poirot an ex-clergyman. And Poirot didn't have a beard/goatee - he had a moustache!!
  • anne.clough.3anne.clough.3
    edited December 2018
    Was the BBC adaptation a pile of crap or is that just my opinion? They killed off Japp, put ABC in the middle of a brothel and made Poirot an ex-clergyman. And Poirot didn't have a beard/goatee - he had a moustache!!
    Well that has decided me. When it comes to Australia, I will not bother watching it just like all the AC adaptations since "And Then There Were None".
  • JS88JS88 Peterborough
    Poirot as an ex priest drew howls of derision from some of those I watched it with. I think Rupert Grint did well and I agree, JM would make a better murdered. On the whole I think it was ok
  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    I admit I am bised, I love ABC Murders, I have read it 8 Times I have only read Cards On The Table as much) but I liked John Malkovitch as Poirot although I can see he would be better suited to other Christie Characters like the Murderer in Three Act Tragedy or one of The Big Four or even Colonel Carbury or Cope in Appointment with Death I liked his Accent and the fact he didn't have a Moustache didn't annoy me or anything else about his appearance, I liked Kevin Mcanally as Japp but they killed him off, I liked Jack Farthing's Character but I like Jack Farthing, I didn't like the Back-story Agatha Christie Provided enough of a back story I need and I am not keen on Characters back-stories, I just don't care about Characters origins or private lives, in The Book Betty Barnard is a Tarter in the BBC Adaptation she is a whore, I thought Rupert Grint was good as well. It was too Dark for me but as Suchet and Ustinov's Poirot were both Light and Fun (Although with Suchet not always), so there was no-where else for future Adaptations to go., I didn't HATE it which I thought I would but didn't like it much and I won't watch it again
  • JS88JS88 Peterborough
    It's a very good point, where is there left for adaptations to go. Suchet having done the entire cannon in a more or less faithful way has closed that avenue for a generation. The darkness of murder seems to be the theme currently and they emphasise this by making the other characters darker (a whore for a harriden) which is, to my mind a bit of a lazy shortcut to create mood , and as they only seem to do these productions during the festive season, is unrelenting darkness what people want. I'd be interested to see a modernization of a poirot story. Not easily done I realise but the attempt might attract a really skillful and original screen writer.
  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

    You quite rightly point out that David Suchet having done the Canon pretty much faithfully 'closed that avenue for a Generation' so perhaps the answer is it shouldn't have been done for a Generation but there again it is nice to have them in different mediums.


  • Tommy_A_JonesTommy_A_Jones Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
    Lady Laq I don't think calling Sarah Phelps a stupid Cow helps the discussion one bit and It is Language which I would hope the Admins would tick you off for, there are ways of saying what you mean, you should have found a different way of saying what you did.
  • micarmicar Dromod
    I'm a newbie to these forums and am quite frankly appalled by some of the "language" used in the commentaries. Fair comment is acceptable even when it is misinformed. I would think that, at this stage, both Sarah Phelps and the BBC would have got the message. Absolutely no need to resort to name-calling. Other comments have made use of crude expressions which are accepted as commonplace in the U.S.A. No place for them here!
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