The first Death on the Nile trailer includes a slowed down remix of Depeche Mode’s “Policy of Truth”. Following up on the story of his Murder on the Orient Express remake, Kenneth Branagh returns to direct the movie’s sequel, in which he will reprise his role as Belgian Inspector Hercule Poirot. Agatha Christie debuted the character in 1920 for her novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles, and Poirot went on to appear in 33 novels, 50 short stories, and various film, television, radio, and stage adaptations.
This latest Death on the Nile adaptation escaped an untimely end as it was in pre-production during Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox. And so it has continued to move forward, with a release date planted in October 2020 (despite constant changes to theatrical schedules). Now, this teaser has revealed a first look at the film’s Egyptian setting, colorful cinematography, and impressive cast. If it follows the same story as the original 1937 book, Poirot will have to solve a murder aboard a steamboat on the Nile river near Cairo, one that is wrapped up in a complicated love triangle.
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In many ways, the first Death on the Nile trailer resembles the first trailer for Murder on the Orient Express – even down to the odd, not-period-appropriate music choice. Murder on the Orient Express’ trailer made quite an impression with its bold use of Imagine Dragon’s “Believer”. This time, however, the marketing team has seemingly found a less attention-grabbing but more appropriate song in “Policy of Truth”. While this version drop’s Depeche’s Mode signature synths for the standard epic movie trailer instrumentals, it maintains singer Dave Gahan’s distinct vocals. The lyrics of the song are fitting for the film’s genre and subject matter, with the lyrics saying, “once you have confessed to a wrongdoing, you can’t take it back, and have to suffer the consequences.”
The Death on the Nile trailer doesn’t give much away for this remake’s exact story, but the visuals combined with the song choice effectively set the scene. Even though the cast – now consisting of Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Ali Fazal, Russell Brand, and more – and location has mostly changed, Branagh seems to be channeling the same style and atmosphere as his previous Poirot film, which should help draw in fans of the first film as well as potentially find new ones.
While it did not take the world by storm, Murder on the Orient Express was properly updated for modern audiences and was successful enough to earn a sequel. And with last year’s surprise popularity of Knives Out, perhaps audiences are even more primed to make Poirot as popular as ever. Given Death on the Nile releases in only two months, Disney and 20th Century Studios may likely release another trailer, one that will reveal more details about the love triangle and the murder victim. But as far as first trailers go, Death on the Nile‘s gets its point across – with an interesting song remix to boot.
Key Release Dates
Death on the Nile
Release Date:2022-02-11
