Following the box office success of Murder on the Orient Express, Kenneth Branagh has reunited with screenwriter Michael Green to adapt Agatha Christie’s 1937 classic crime novel, Death on the Nile.
Alongside his directorial duties, Branagh himself returns as the famous Belgian detective with the flamboyant mustache, Hercule Poirot. Branagh once again leads a huge cast, including Tom Bateman reprising his role as Bouc, Poirot’s friend and confidant, Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Annette Bening (Captain Marvel), Russell Brand (Get Him to The Greek), and Armie Hamer (Rebecca), just to name a few.
Wondering when and where you can watch Death On The Nile? Keep reading to find out.
When Is Death on the Nile’s Release Date?
The official release date for Death on the Nile was February 11, 2022. That's five years after Branagh’s star-studded Murder on the Orient Express premiered in cinemas. After a solid performance in the box office, it was announced in November 2017 that the sequel, Death on the Nile, was going into development.
While filming was completed back in December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic and controversy surrounding cast members impacted the release date multiple times, with Walt Disney Studios through 20th Century Studios finally settling on a release date back in late 2021.
Is Death on the Nile Streaming Online?
When it first premiered, Death on the Nile was exclusively in theaters, including screenings in IMAX cinemas. But good news, the movie is now available on not one but two streaming services. Death on the Nile is streaming on HBO Max and Hulu, having been released on the services on March 29, 2022. So grab that popcorn, curl up on the couch, and enjoy this classic detective story.
Additionally, Death on the Nile is also set to be released on DVD, 4K Ultra HD, and Blu-ray on April 5. The physical media release comes with a host of bonus features and featurettes that are sure to be a treat for fans.
What’s Death on the Nile’s Run Time?
This latest adaptation of Death on the Nile clocks in at 2 hours and 7 minutes long (that's 127 minutes total). The movie is 13 minutes longer than Murder on the Orient Express, which runs for 1 hour and 53 minutes (114 minutes).
What Is Death on the Nile About?
After a young woman is found murdered on board the steamer Karnak, the renowned detective and former police officer Hercule Poirot puts his holiday, and that of the passengers, on hold as he seeks out the killer. With a colorful cast of characters, each with their own agenda, everyone aboard the Karnak is a suspect.
Who’s In the Cast of Death on the Nile?
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Besides Branagh and Bateman reprising their roles, Death on the Nile features a cast of new characters including Gal Gadot as the glamorous socialite and newlywed Linnet Doyle née Ridgeway, with Armie Hammer joining her as her husband, Simon Doyle.
Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones) is Louise Bourget, Linnet’s chambermaid who joins the newlyweds on their honeymoon.
Annette Bening as Euphemia Bouc, Bouc’s mother and painter, a character written for this adaptation specifically.
Emma Mackey (Sex Education) as Jacqueline de Bellefort, Linnet’s former friend and Simon’s former fiancé (both characteristics of a lead suspect).
Sophie Okonedo (Wheel of Time) and Letitia Wright (Black Panther) play mother and daughter duo Salome and Rosalie Otterbourne, with the former a singer hired to perform at the Doyles' wedding.
Russell Brand is Dr. Carl Bessner, a famous European physician. They’re intentionally and quite suspiciously vague as to where in Europe he is from.
The English comedic duo, Jennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous) and Dawn French (The Vicar of Dibley) are reunited in the movie as well. Saunders plays the wealthy American socialite Marie Van Schuyler and French appears as Van Schuyler’s nurse and traveling companion, known only as Bowers.
Do I Need to Watch Murder on the Orient Express Before Death on the Nile?
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While Death on the Nile is technically a sequel, watching Murder on the Orient Express is not essential. Besides the main character and his friend, there aren’t many continuing story threads, so newcomers should have no trouble following the narrative.
However, if you haven’t seen Murder on the Orient Express and would like to, it is available on Amazon Prime Video and Google Play to rent or purchase.
In Murder on the Orient Express, Poirot must investigate the murder of a wealthy American businessman after the transcontinental luxury train, the Orient Express, is snowed in by an avalanche. The cast includes Daisy Ridley, Dame Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, and Michelle Pfeiffer. You can buy or rent it on Amazon using this link.
Other Agatha Christie adaptations you can stream right now include:
A Crooked House (2017): Starring Glen Close (Hillbilly Elegy), Terrence Stamp (Last Night In Soho), and Max Irons (Condor), this crime thriller follows young spy / private detective Charles Hayward, as he is called upon to investigate the murder of his ex-lover's grandfather. Plenty of twists and turns in this one, and it's one of Christie's darkest stories.
Witness For The Prosecution (1957): An oldie but a goodie. Based on Christie’s play of the same name, this highly acclaimed drama stars Academy Award winner Charles Laughton (The Private Life of Henry VIII) as Sir Wilfrid Robarts, an ailing barrister who takes on the case of an accused murderer whom he believes is innocent. While Witness For The Prosecution is a courtroom drama first, it features film noir elements that keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
Agatha and the Truth of Murder (2018): This one is not an Agatha Christie adaptation but a semi-biographical film that covers Christie’s real-life disappearance back in 1926. Ruth Bradley (Ted Lasso) stars as a young Agatha Christie in the throes of writer's block and personal troubles, who sets out to solve a real-life murder. Agatha and the Truth of Murder also features Michael McElhatton (Game of Thrones) as a fictional version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Murder on the Orient Express (1974): The original adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express features an ensemble cast of movie legends such as Sean Connery (Dr.No), Lauren Bacall (The Big Sleep), Ingrid Bergman (Casablanca), and Anthony Perkins (Psycho). Directed by Sidney Lumet (Twelve Angry Men), this is a must-watch for fans of classic cinema.