Kenneth Branagh’s grandly mustachioed master sleuth Hercule Poirot is back in cinemas on September 15th with A Haunting in Venice. Based on Agatha Christie’s 1969 work Hallowe’en Party, this is the third mystery in the franchise that began with Branagh’s 2017 version of Murder on the Orient Express and continued last year with Death on the Nile. In addition to its director/star, the cast includes Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Ali Khan, Emma Laird, Kelly Reilly, Riccardo Scamarcio, and current Best Actress winner Michelle Yeoh.
The first trailer for Haunting definitely leaned on the horror elements of its story and not the fact that it’s a continuation of the Express and Nile series. That’s not surprising when you consider that Nile came in well under its predecessor. While the Orient remake made $28 million out of the gate and $102 million overall domestically, the oft delayed Nile only earned $12.9 million for its start and $45 million overall a year and a half ago.
That horror angle might be a smart one for 20th Century Studios, but genre fans might be satiated with The Nun II (out the weekend prior). I do think this manages to top Death though not by much.
A Haunting in Venice opening weekend prediction: $14.6 million
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