<Tr> <Th> Budget </Th> <Td> $55 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $350 million </Td> </Tr> <P> Murder on the Orient Express is a 2017 British - American 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 scene of the Bay of Jerusalem was shot in Malta . 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 has grossed over $350 million worldwide and received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the cast's performances and the production value, but some criticism for Branagh's directorial focus on his own role to the detriment of the drama . </P>

Who played hercule poirot in the new movie