Synopsis

During a winter journey aboard the luxurious Orient Express, celebrated detective Hercule Poirot is drawn into a murder investigation when a wealthy passenger is found dead in his locked compartment. An avalanche strands the train, leaving Poirot with a limited window to question the diverse travelers, uncover their hidden connections, and determine which suspect is responsible before the killer strikes again.

Factoids & Trivia

• This 2017 version is based on Agatha Christie's 1934 novel and became the first film in a series featuring Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot.

• Principal photography began on November 22, 2016, and continued into May 2017. Much of the train action was filmed at Longcross Film Studios in England, where sections of the train were built for the production.

• The film was shot in part on 65mm film, using some of the same camera equipment employed on Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk.

• Train interiors were mounted on gimbals so the carriages could tilt and move during filming. Large LED screens were also used to display landscapes outside the windows.

• Additional footage was captured in Malta, Italy, Switzerland, Turkey, and New Zealand. Malta doubled for some of the film's Istanbul material, while snowy Alpine scenery was filmed in Italy.

• Poirot's unusually elaborate moustache was developed over several months. Its design drew on historical moustache references and was intended to reflect the detective's vanity, eccentricity, and imposing public image.

• During post-production, Michelle Pfeiffer recorded the original song "Never Forget" for the closing credits. Branagh followed the session remotely while he was elsewhere working.

• Produced with an estimated budget of $55 million, the film earned more than $352 million worldwide. Its commercial performance led to further Christie adaptations, including Death on the Nile and A Haunting in Venice.