The Many On-Screen Incarnations of Hercule Poirot

The Many On-Screen Incarnations of Hercule Poirot

By now, many of you will already have had an opportunity to see the 2017 film adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express. Since its release in theaters throughout the month of November, the star-studded whodunit has grossed over $200,000,000 world-wide. While critics praised the performances and production values, some expressed disappointment at the film's lack of originality.

That being said, the main protagonist of the film, Hercule Poirot, is an indisputably timeless character. A fictional Belgian detective, Poirot is one of mystery writer Agatha Christie's most well-known and enduring characters. The fastidious sleuth appeared in thirty-three novels and more than fifty short stories published between 1920 and 1975.

Such a distinctive character was destined to make his way from the page to more wide-reaching formats. Over the years Monsieur Poirot’s distinctive investigative talents have branched out to the stage, radio, TV, film, anime and even a 2006 computer game that reenacted and let players solve the story of the Orient Express murder.