Which Actors Star In The Queen Of Crime Movie Adaptation?

I hear you—there’s a common shorthand where people call Agatha Christie the 'Queen of Crime,' so the question usually points to movie adaptations of her books. If that’s what you mean, two obvious, recent references are the 2017 'Murder on the Orient Express' (Kenneth Branagh, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Daisy Ridley, Michelle Pfeiffer, Olivia Colman) and the 2022 'Death on the Nile' (Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Annette Bening, Letitia Wright, Russell Brand, Ali Fazal, Emma Mackey, Rose Leslie, Sophie Okonedo). I like how each new version casts Poirot differently and treats the ensemble mystery as a chance to showcase lots of talent.

If you meant a different 'queen of crime' movie—some other title with that exact phrase in the name—give me the year or a line of dialogue you remember and I’ll zero in on the precise cast.

I get the vibe you mean Agatha Christie—the long-time 'Queen of Crime'—so I usually think in terms of the big-screen adaptations of her work. When people ask about the movie versions, a few productions always come to mind because of their star-studded casts. For example, the classic 1974 film 'Murder on the Orient Express' has Albert Finney as Hercule Poirot and an absolutely stacked supporting ensemble: Ingrid Bergman (who won an Oscar for it), Lauren Bacall, Sean Connery, Jacqueline Bisset, Vanessa Redgrave, Michael York and Anthony Perkins. That movie feels like a buffet of golden-age stars, and I still rewatch it when I want that old-Hollywood energy.

On the modern side, Kenneth Branagh revived Poirot in 'Murder on the Orient Express' (2017), and the cast is a who’s-who of contemporary talent: Branagh himself, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Leslie Odom Jr., and Olivia Colman. Then more recently Branagh directed 'Death on the Nile' (2022), another lavish Christie adaptation, which features Branagh again alongside Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Annette Bening, Letitia Wright, Russell Brand, Ali Fazal, Emma Mackey, Rose Leslie and Sophie Okonedo. Those modern remakes lean into spectacle and big-name casting in a way that’s fun if you like spotting familiar faces.

If you were thinking of a different film tied to the moniker 'Queen of Crime'—maybe a lesser-known title or a non-Christie movie—tell me which specific adaptation you have in mind and I’ll dig into that cast. But if you’re asking about films based on the works of the woman often called the 'Queen of Crime,' the actors above are the big draws that usually get mentioned, and they’re great starting points if you’re planning a Christie marathon.