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When Was the Release Date of 'A Haunting in Venice'?
Is 'A Haunting in Venice' in Theaters or Streaming Online?
Watch the Trailers for 'A Haunting in Venice'
What Is the Plot of 'A Haunting in Venice'?
Who Is Starring in 'A Haunting in Venice'?
Who Is the Creative Team Behind 'A Haunting in Venice'?
Agatha Christie remains the best-selling fiction author of all time and the queen of whodunits. Her stories have been adapted for the screen countless times and have been the primary source of inspiration for detective films well after her time. Whodunits like Knives Out and Bad Times at the El Royale show true roots stemming from Christie's work. Fans of these films are captivated by a theatrical guessing game in which the plot is conducted entirely of twists. After the successes of Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, a third installment of the modern Hercule Poirot films has hit theaters this year and is now out on streaming.
Kenneth Branagh returns with his stunning portrayal of detective Hercule Poirot in the newest Agatha Christie adaptation, A Haunting in Venice, based on her novel Hallowe'en Party. For the third time, Branagh has directed and starred in the film. Though each previous movie has been met with mixed reviews, they both grossed millions over their production budget and were generally appreciated by critics. The movies are vivid in imagery, action-packed, and always flaunt a brilliant cast. Detective Hercule Poirot will have to whip out his hawk-eye detective skills again for the intense, shadowy world of A Haunting in Venice.
Editor's Note: This article was updated on November 2, 2023.
A Haunting in Venice
PG-13
In post-World War II Venice, Poirot, now retired and living in his own exile, reluctantly attends a seance. But when one of the guests is murdered, it is up to the former detective to once again uncover the killer.
- Release Date
- September 15, 2023
- Director
- Kenneth Branagh
- Cast
- Kelly Reilly , Michelle Yeoh , Jamie Dornan , Kenneth Branagh
- Runtime
- 103 minutes
- Main Genre
- Drama
When Was the Release Date of 'A Haunting in Venice'?
A Haunting in Venice premiered on September 15, 2023, just ahead of the spooky season. The movie began filming on Halloween 2022, splitting production between Venice, Italy, and Pinewood Studios in London, England, most likely giving the set a naturally ominous atmosphere. Seeing as the story is set on Halloween night, it's a fitting addition to 2023's fall lineup. Other spooky movies released this fall include The Nun 2 and a new Exorcist film. Ahead of the wide release, A Haunting in Venice was also released in select theaters across the US on September 9, 2023. Read more about the early screenings here.
Is 'A Haunting in Venice' in Theaters or Streaming Online?
Like the last two movies in the series, A Haunting in Venice was theatrically released. However, it has since ended its theatrical run. While the film is very much made for the cinema, you do have multiple options to watch it at home now. You can stream A Haunting in Venice on Hulu, or buy the movie digitally on Amazon. A Haunting in Venice is also getting a DVD and Blu-ray release on November 28, so if you would like to add the film to your collection you can now pre-order the physical copy. To find out more, read our article on all the ways you can watch A Haunting in Venice.
Watch the Trailers for 'A Haunting in Venice'
The first official teaser trailer for the film was unveiled during Disney's CinemaCon presentation on April 26, 2023, and was subsequently released online. The two-minute preview teases a different vibe for the murder-mystery sequel as Branagh seems to be taking some massive influences from the horror genre. The first full trailer for A Haunting in Venice was released on July 19. Much like the initial teaser, this trailer gives us a solid look at the mystery movie. Clocking in just shy of two and a half minutes, the trailer manages to get us excited without showing too much.
As we get closer to the film's release, 20th Century Studios dropped a featurette where the cast discusses the film's premise. Kenneth Branagh reveals that A Haunting in Venice will explore themes not seen in Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. This was followed by a sneak peek video titled "Eerie Ensemble" and a 30-second teaser released on Twitter.
What Is the Plot of 'A Haunting in Venice'?
This time around, the detective film is also a supernatural one. The setting is post-World War II Italy. Detective Hercule Poirot is retired and lives a secluded life in Venice. He is invited to a séance and begrudgingly attends against his opposition. When a guest is murdered at the haunted palazzo where the séance is held, Poirot must come out of retirement and put his hung-up detective skills back to work. In doing so, he uncovers a hidden world of secrets and awakens the ghosts of a forgotten past.
The first film, Murder on the Orient Express, takes place on a fancy train filled with wealthy people, passing through blizzardy weather to London, England. The train gets stranded by an avalanche, a passenger is found murdered, and Detective Poirot must solve the case. The sequel, Death on the Nile, takes place on a cruise ship in Egypt, with a mirroring plot. Both films are engaging and charismatic, with brilliant cinematic camera work, rich color, and strikingly graphic action. They are bold movies and strikingly produced. However, with the plot and setting of A Haunting in Venice turning into a supernatural situation, the third movie in the series looks to take a slightly off-kilter approach. Watching these movies is an event in itself. Audiences will likely still see a lot of action and crime-solving but in a haunting and eerie placement. Shadows will lurk, and secrets will come alive.
The official synopsis from 20th Century Studios reads:
“A Haunting in Venice” is set in eerie, post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve, “A Haunting in Venice” is a terrifying mystery featuring the return of the celebrated sleuth, Hercule Poirot. Now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the world’s most glamorous city, Poirot reluctantly attends a séance at a decaying, haunted palazzo. When one of the guests is murdered, the detective is thrust into a sinister world of shadows and secrets.
Who Is Starring in 'A Haunting in Venice'?
As expected and stated before, Kenneth Branagh reclaims the role of detective Hercule Poirot. The rest of the cast includes acclaimed starsTina Fey (30 Rock) as Ariadne Oliver, Jaime Dornan (Belfast) as Mr. Ferrier, Jude Hill (Belfast) as Leopold Ferrier, Kelly Reilly (Yellowstone) as Rowena Drake, Academy-Award winner Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once) as Joyce Reynolds, Emma Laird (Mayor of Kingstown) as Desdemona Holland, Kyle Allen (Rosaline) as Maxime Gerard, Camille Cottin (House of Gucci) as Olga Seminoff, Ali Khan (The School for Good and Evil) as Nicholas Holland, and Riccardo Scamarcio (John Wick: Chapter 2) as Vitale Portafoglio.
Who Is the Creative Team Behind 'A Haunting in Venice'?
Along with Kenneth Branagh in the director's chair, other team members from Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile have also returned for A Haunting in Venice. The screenplay was developed by Michael Green, who wrote the other two films. Judy Hoffman, Mark Gordon, Simon Kinberg, Ridley Scott, and James Prichard have all returned as producers. Lousie Killin (Wrath of Man) is also an executive producer. 20th Century Studios is the leading production company behind the film. Haris Zambarloukos is the cinematographer of the movie and the music was composed by Hildur Guđnadóttir.