Netflix set for a murder mystery series by the queen of the genre
An Agatha Christie adaptation is heading to Netflix soon
Netflix just confirmed the most famous mystery author of them all is getting a new TV adaptation.
The Seven Dials Mystery is an Agatha Christie murder mystery novel published almost 100 years ago, in 1929, and it’ll soon be a show on Netflix. And, nope, this isn’t one that features her most famous characters, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.
This is a Superintendent Battle story, which should help the show avoid getting tangled up with the preconceptions that come with well-known characters and big-budget adaptations.
The story begins with a party at a grand house. One of the guests dies, but was it misadventure or a murder?
It has been adapted for TV before, as a made-for-TV movie released in 1981. That version starred no less than John Gielgud and Rula Lenska, while Cheryl Campbell played the lead, as Lady “Bundle” Brent.
We have no clue as to who might star in Netflix’s take on this old tale just yet, but we do know about some of the team behind The Seven Dials Mystery’s development.
Chris Chibnall is writing The Seven Dials Mystery. Some of you may know him as a writer for Doctor Who, or as showrunner and writer on the brilliant crime series Broadchurch. It sounds like Agatha Christie’s work is in good hands.
Chris Sweeney will direct. He most recently directed episodes of Apples Never Fall and The Tourist.
“Bundle Brent is one of my great grandmother’s raft of interesting humorous sharp young female characters,” says James Prichard of the Agatha Christie estate.
“To see her brought to life through the words of Chris Chibnall and this production with Orchid Pictures and Netflix is a dream come true. I think viewers will love this world that we have created, and hope for more.”
Recently we’ve seen Kenneth Branagh drag Christie back to the big screen in his trio of movie adaptations, including 2023’s fun A Haunting in Venice. But could this move by Netflix spark a whole new generation of Christie TV adaptations?
Prime Video started that ball rolling with 2020’s Agatha Christie’s The Pale Horse starring Rufus Sewell. Despite some cracking reviews, though, it wasn’t followed-up by a slew of further Christie shows. Perhaps this Netflix project will make more of an impact, although we're likely still a way off getting a chance to actually watch it.
