First Look: The ABC Murders

John Malkovich and Rupert Grint will star in BBC One’s brand new production of the Agatha Christie classic The ABC Murders, adapted by Sarah Phelps. The first episode will air on Boxing Day, Wednesday 26^th December, at 9pm.

Malkovich (Being John Malkovich, In The Line Of Fire, Dangerous Liaisons) will lead the cast as Hercule Poirot.

The ABC Murders is set in the 1930s, a time when the nation is dangerously divided and suspicion and hatred are on the rise. In the midst of this Poirot faces a serial killer known only as ABC. First the killer strikes in Andover, then Bexhill. As the murder count rises, the only clue is the copy of The ABC Railway Guide at each crime scene. Poirot’s investigations are thwarted at every turn by an enemy determined to outsmart him. If Poirot is to match his nemesis then everything about him will be called into question: his authority, his integrity, his past, his identity.

Also joining the cast are Rupert Grint (Harry Potter, Sick Note) as Inspector Crome, Andrew Buchan (Broadchurch, The Honourable Woman) as Franklin Clarke, Eamon Farren (Twin Peaks, Chained) playing Cust, Tara Fitzgerald (Game Of Thrones, Requiem) as Lady Hermione Clarke, Bronwyn James (Harlots) in the role of Megan and Freya Mavor (The Sense Of An Ending, Sunshine On Leith) as Thora Grey.

2018 Olivier Award winning actress Shirley Henderson (Harry Potter, Happy Valley), Kevin McNally (Pirates Of The Caribbean, Legend), Gregor Fisher (Love Actually) and Jack Farthing (Poldark, The Riot Club) will also join the all-star cast, as well as Karen Westwood (The Alienist), Lizzy McInnerny (The Crown), Anya Chalotra (Wanderlust), Eve Austin (In The Flesh), Christopher Villiers (Hetty Feather), Suzanne Packer (Keeping Faith), Michael Shaeffer (Rogue One), Cyril Nri (Cucumber), Henry Goodman (Genius: Einstein), Tamzin Griffin (A Fantastic Fear Of Everything), Ian Pirie (Sunset Song), Shane Attwooll (Dark River) and Terenia Edwards (Peter Rabbit).

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.’

Sarah Phelps, Writer and Executive Producer, commented, ‘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 centre, one of the most familiar, famous characters in crime fiction. We may all think we know Poirot but do we really know Hercule?’

‘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,’ added Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama.

Filming for The ABC Murders is underway and is directed by Alex Gabassi (The Frankenstein Chronicles, El Hipnotizador) and produced by BAFTA-nominated Farah Abushwesha (Irreplaceable You, The Party). The ABC Murders is executive produced by Sarah Phelps, Damien Timmer and Helen Ziegler for Mammoth Screen, James Prichard and Basi Akpabio for Agatha Christie Limited and Elizabeth Kilgarriff for BBC.