<Tr> <Th> Budget </Th> <Td> $55 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $351.8 million </Td> </Tr> <P> Murder on the Orient Express is a 2017 mystery drama film directed by Kenneth Branagh with a screenplay by Michael Green, based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie . The film stars Branagh as Hercule Poirot, with Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Leslie Odom Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer, and Daisy Ridley in supporting roles . The film is the fourth screen adaptation of Christie's novel, following the 1974 film, a 2001 TV film version, and a 2010 episode of the television series Agatha Christie's Poirot . The plot follows Poirot, a world - renowned detective, as he seeks to solve a murder on the famous trans - European train in the 1930s . </P> <P> Principal photography began in November 2016 in the United Kingdom; it is one of the few productions in recent decades to have used 65mm film cameras . Murder on the Orient Express had its world premiere on November 2, 2017 at Royal Albert Hall in London, and was released in theatres in the United Kingdom on November 3, 2017, and in the United States on November 10, 2017, by 20th Century Fox . The film grossed over $351 million worldwide and received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the cast's performances and the production value, but some criticism for not adding anything new to previous adaptations . A sequel, titled Death on the Nile, is scheduled for a release on December 20, 2019 . </P>

Who plays the detective in the orient express