John Malkovich to play Poirot in BBC adaptation of The ABC Murders

(Image credit: Brian J Ritchie/Hotsauce/REX/Shu)

The Hollywood star is taking a break from the big screen for this exciting new role

John Malkovich will be taking on the role of Hercule Poirot as BBC One continues its adaptations of Agatha Christie stories, it has been confirmed.

Yes, you read that right! The Hollywood star - who is best known for his blockbuster movies like Dangerous Liaisons, Con Air and In The Line Of Fire - will be joining the cast for in the instalment of Christie’s classic 1936 title The ABC Murders, as it comes to life on the small screen.

The ABC Murders will be adapted by BAFTA nominated writer Sarah Phelps, who hinted that the story is pretty ‘brutal’.

“Set in the seething, suspicious early 1930s, The ABC Murders is a brutal story of violence and lies, the long shadow of the past and the slaughter to come,” Phelps teased.

“At its centre, one of the most familiar, famous characters in crime fiction. We may all think we know Poirot but do we really know Hercule?”

Rewind to 2013 and David Suchet&rsquo;s final outing as the Belgian sleuth, Poirot — David Suchet’s in his final outing as the Belgian sleuth, Poirot

The plot sees Poirot facing a serial killer known only as A.B.C.

First, the killer strikes in Andover, then Bexhill.

As the murder count rises, the only clue is the copy of The ABC Railway Guide at each crime scene. Poirot’s investigations are thwarted at every turn by an enemy determined to outsmart him.

If Poirot is to match his nemesis then everything about him will be called into question: his authority, his integrity, his past, his identity.

"Over the last three years Sarah has breathed new life into some of Agatha Christie’s most renowned crime stories and we can’t wait for her to do the same with Christie’s most iconic detective, Hercule Poirot,” said controller of BBC Drama Piers Wenger.

“We are utterly thrilled that John Malkovich has been persuaded to unleash his extraordinary abilities on this stellar role,” he added.

Deepwater Horizon John Malkovich — (Image credit: David Lee)

Starring alongside Malkovich will be Harry Potter star Rupert Grint as Inspector Crome, Broadchurch actor Andrew Buchan as Franklin Clarke, and Game of Thrones actress Tara Fitzgerald as Lady Hermione Clarke.

Time to set the box on record, we think!