Angelina Jolie has deboarded Kenneth Branagh’s planned adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder On The Orient Express.
Although the Oscar-winning actress was reported to be i talks to join the film’s cast back in June, the Tracking Board is reporting that she has now dropped out of negotiations. To fill the void left by her departure, the production is now looking at other candidates, with Charlize Theron reportedly high on their consideration list.
In addition to directing, Branagh will be starring as Belgian detective Hercule Poirot who attempts to find a killer on board the famous luxury train during its run from Paris to Istanbul.
This first time Christie’s seminal mystery novel was adapted for film was the all-star 1974 version directed by Sydney Lumet which garnered six Academy Awards nominations and one win for co-star Ingrid Bergman. Since then, it was adapted twice more – in 2001 and 2010 – for English-language television and once for Japanese television in 2015.
