Murder on the Orient Express has already spent over 80 years as a beloved mystery novel and more than 40 years as a cinematic classic. Now the Agatha Christie-penned tale is getting a second chance at silver screen fame with the Kenneth Branagh-directed remake. U.S. moviegoers still have a few days left to go before they can see Murder on the Orient Express, but the new movie has already gotten off to a solid start internationally, making over $6.5 million in just one country.
Appropriately enough, Murder on the Orient Express opened first in the United Kingdom, Agatha Christie's home, and so far, the remake has been a smashing success, commercially speaking. According to The Guardian, it surpassed the $6.5 million mark this past weekend in over 600 theaters...sorry, cinemas. Thor: Ragnarok fell to second place, while A Bad Moms Christmas and Jigsaw ranked in third and fourth place, respectively. Murder on the Orient Express' haul across the pond is only going to grow from here, but numerous markets won't have to wait much longer to see what this movie has to offer, because in addition to its U.S. release, it will also come out in countries like China, Russia, Australia and Germany later this week. Other countries, like Japan, France and Italy, will have to wait until December for the remake.
As far as competition in the United States goes, Murder on the Orient Express is arguably the biggest release this weekend, with others including Daddy's Home 2, LBJ and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. However, with Thor: Ragnarok having opened last weekend and still going strong, Murder on the Orient Express will have its work cut out for it attracting an audience. Critically-speaking, the remake has earned decent reception thus far, ranking at 66% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Keeping the 1930s setting of the original tale while mixing in a contemporary flair, Kenneth Branagh's Murder on the Orient Express follows the same premise as its predecessors. Detective Hercule Poirot is traveling aboard the Orient Express train when one of its passengers is killed in the middle of the night. Despite being on break from taking cases, Poirot must interview more than a dozen suspects and determine who the murderer is. In addition to Branagh playing Poirot, Murder on the Orient Express' star-studded cast includes Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Josh Gad, Judi Dench, Willem Dafoe, Penelope Cruz, Daisy Ridley, Leslie Odon Jr., Olivia Colman, Lucy Boynton and Tom Bateman.
Murder on the Orient Express opens domestically this Friday, November 10. As for what else is being released in the final weeks of this year, look through our 2017 premiere guide, and get a jump on next year's offerings with our 2018 premiere guide.
