Movies

'Death On The Nile' Wants To Add Annette Bening To Its Ever-Growing List Of Suspects

Death on the Nile cast Annette Bening
By Chris Evangelista

Death on the Nile, the next entry in Kenneth Branagh's unofficial Agatha Christie Cinematic Universe, continues to rack up impressive cast members. Just like the star-studded previous film, Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile is adding a cavalcade of famous suspects for Branagh's Hercule Poirot to investigate. Annette Bening is the latest name being floated, with the actress in talks to join Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Letitia Wright and more.

After awkwardly nodding her head to some Nirvana music in Captain Marvel, Annette Bening is ready for a little mystery. Deadline reports the actress is in talks to join the Death on the Nile cast for director and star Kenneth Branagh. There's no word on which character Bening would play, but she'd be joining a cast featuring Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Tom Bateman (reprising his role from Orient Express), and Letitia Wright.

In the film, Branagh's brilliant detective character Hercule Poirot is on vacation on the Nile, but ends up having to investigate the murder of a young heiress. This is more or less the same set-up as Orient Express, swapping a river cruise for a train.

Here are the characters from Agatha Christie's novel of the same name (via the Agatha Christie wiki):

  • Jacqueline de Bellefort and her fiancé, Simon Doyle.
  • Linnet Ridgeway, a wealthy young heiress.
  • American erotica novelist Salome Otterbourne and her daughter, Rosalie;
  • Mrs. Allerton and her son, Tim.
  • Linnet's American trustee, Andrew Pennington, who happened to run into her in Egypt.
  • Linnet's maid, Louise Bourget.
  • American socialite Marie Van Schuyler and her younger cousin, Cornelia Robson.
  • Miss Van Schuyler's nurse, Miss Bowers.
  • A young traveler named, Mr. Ferguson, an outspoken Socialist.
  • Archaeologist, Signor Richetti.
  • A diffident young man named James Fanthorp.
  • An Austrian physician named Dr. Bessner.
  • A husband of an Egyptian native Fleetwood.

    • There's no telling if all of these characters will appear in the film, or if they'll end up being changed/altered. But as of now, we know that Gal Gadot is playing Linnet Ridgeway, Armie Hammer is Simon Doyle, and Letitia Wright is Rosalie Otterbourne. Orient Express screenwriter Michael Green is back to handle the Death on the Nile script, while Judy Hofflund, Simon Kinberg, Ridley Scott, Kevin Walsh, and Mark Gordon will produce.

    While Orient Express wasn't what I'd call a great movie, it was pretty entertaining. I enjoyed the old school sensibility Branagh brought to the production, and I also liked his take on Poirot. If he wants to keep making star-studded sequels in this franchise, I'm game to watch them.

    Death on the Nile opens October 2, 2020.

    Recommended