Kenneth Branagh revives the world’s greatest detective
IT MAKES SENSE FOR KENNETH Branagh to not only star as gumshoe Hercule Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express (out now), but to sit in the director’s chair too. The detective—“probably the greatest in the world,” the character modestly admits—is a master at manipulating the people around him. The 56-year-old director is similarly skilled at positioning his ensemble, which includes Judi Dench, Penélope Cruz, Michelle Pfeiffer, Johnny Depp, Derek Jacobi and Willem Dafoe. While fans of Agatha Christie’s 1934 mystery and Sidney Lumet’s 1974 adaptation may already know whodunit, Branagh has sleekly repackaged the tale, leaving its glamour intact. He sat down with TIME in London to talk about making the movie.
