Netflix has announced their new Agatha Christie adaptation, The Seven Dials Mystery, will be penned by former Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall. Previously serving as the head writer for the 2005 spinoff Torchwood, Chibnall was later tapped to succeed Steven Moffat as the showrunner for Doctor Who season 11. Responsible for casting Jodie Whittaker as the first female Doctor in the show’s long-running history, Chibnall’s tenure as showrunner generated some degree of controversy, with several commentators accusing the writer’s episodes of being too politically motivated.
Netflix has officially announced that they will be teaming with the former Doctor Who showrunner on a new television adaptation of Christie’s 1929 mystery novel, The Seven Dials Mystery. The show is also set to be executive produced by The Crown’s Suzanne Mackie under her Orchid Pictures banner and Good Omens’ Chris Sussman. Chris Sweeney, director of The Tourist, has been tapped to direct. Check out the statement made by Mackie below:
I am excited to be bringing The Seven Dials Mystery to life, and to be introducing a new generation of iconic Christie characters to the screen. It has been a joy to work with Chris Chibnall in creating this bold, authored and ambitious vision for the series. Together with Chris Sussman and Agatha Christie Limited and, under the masterful direction of Chris Sweeney, we are thrilled to embark on this creative journey. I could not think of a more exciting first project for Orchid Pictures, or a more perfect home for this story than Netflix.
Why The Seven Dials Mystery Is An Odd Choice To Adapt
Agatha Christie Has Far More Well-Known Characters
Widely regarded as one of the world’s most prolific and well-known mystery writers, Christie’s works have previously been adapted to screen dozens of times. While modern audiences may be more familiar with the Hercule Poirot movies helmed by Kenneth Branagh, Christie’s assorted characters have a long history of being brought to life as movies and television shows, beginning with the 1928 silent movie, The Passing of Mr. Quin. Since then, countless writers, actors and directors have all put their spin on the authors’ now iconic tales.
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With Death on The Nile having hit cinemas, what’s next for Agatha Christie-based movies? Perhaps, it’s time to adapt a book that’s never been adapted.
Yet among Christie’s assorted works, The Seven Dials Mystery seems, at first glance, to be an odd choice for Netflix to pursue. Originally lambasted by critics on the book’s original release, The Seven Dials Mystery features neither of Christie’s better-known detectives, Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple. Instead, the author returned to a character first introduced in her 1925 book The Secret of Chimneys to focus on the young aristocrat and socialite, Lady “Bundle” Brent.
Yet, while Bundle Brent is a far less recognizable character than Christie’s other iconic sleuths, the character’s rebellious traits could make for a fascinating character in the Netflix adaptation. Resourceful and headstrong, Brent has often been described as a quintessential 1920s “flapper”, known equally for her appeal to the opposite sex and her penchant for fast driving. With Chibnall responsible for introducing Doctor Who fans to the first female Doctor, it will be interesting to see what he has in store for The Seven Dials Mystery.
