Sherlock Holmes might be Britain’s most famous detective, but Hercule Poirot has spent more than a century giving him a serious run for his money. Agatha Christie’s meticulously moustachioed Belgian detective has been brought to life by everyone from Albert Finney and Peter Ustinov to David Suchet and Kenneth Branagh and now, another actor is preparing to exercise those famous little grey cells. And we’ve finally got our first look at him.
BritBox has officially revealed Edward Bluemel (My Lady Jane) as Hercule Poirot in the first image from the upcoming six-part drama Hercule. Production has now begun in Liverpool on the series, which is being produced by Mammoth Screen and Agatha Christie Limited for BritBox and the BBC.
Hercule has been described as an “intimate study” of Poirot himself, rather than just sending him to Venice to be haunted, or on the Orient Express to find Johnny Depp stabbed to death, but it will draw from three of Christie’s earliest stories and will introduce Poirot to several people who will become his future friends and allies — as well as one particularly important nemesis. Wonder who that might end up being?
Who Stars in ‘Hercule’?
Bluemel will be surrounded by a pretty stacked ensemble. Henry Ashton (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms), James D’Arcy (Oppenheimer), Calvin Demba (Supacell), Phil Dunning (Smoggie Queens), Jack Gleeson (Game of Thrones), Tamsin Greig (Friday Night Dinner), James Nesbitt (Cold Feet), Guy Remmers (The Buccaneers), Rebecca Rittenhouse (His & Hers) and Mawaan Rizwan (Juice) have all joined the six-part series.
Hercule is written by Benji Walters (Code of Silence), with the six episodes divided between three directors. Jonny Campbell will direct Episodes 1 and 2, Chanya Button will helm Episodes 3 and 4, and Alrick Riley will take over for the final two instalments.
Charlie Palmer serves as series producer, while Walters, Campbell, James Prichard, Rebecca Durbin, Damien Timmer, Robert Schildhouse, Jon Farrar, Stephen Nye and Nick Lambon are among the executive producers.
The six hour-long episodes will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK, while BritBox will carry the series in North America. No premiere date has yet been announced.
via Collider