In 1931, the murder mystery movie, Alibi hit cinema screens. Based on the book, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie, the movie (which is sadly now lost to time) was the first feature-length adaptation of a Hercule Poirot story.

Alibi proved popular with audiences and kick-started a run of Poirot movies. Some of the movies were connected, others were not, but all have helped to keep one of the most famous fictional detectives on the big screen.

But how many Hercule Poirot movies are there? If this question has been keeping you up all night, now is the time for some answers…

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What is the order of the Hercule Poirot movies?

Image: ©EMI

To date, there are 14 entries in the Hercule Poirot movie series. The movies were released in the following order:

  • Alibi (1931)
  • Black Coffee (1931)
  • Lord Edgware Dies (1934)
  • The Alphabet Murders (1965)
  • Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
  • Death on the Nile (1978)
  • Evil Under the Sun (1982)
  • Thirteen at Dinner (1985)
  • Murder in Three Acts (1986)
  • Dead Man’s Folly (1986)
  • Appointment with Death (1988)
  • Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
  • Death on the Nile (2022)
  • A Haunting in Venice (2023)
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Are the Hercule Poirot movies part of the same series?

Image: ©EMI

The Hercule Poirot movies are not all part of the same series. The series breaks down as follows:

  • Alibi, Black Coffee, and Lord Edgware Dies are all part of the same series, with Austin Trevor playing the role of Poirot.
  • The Alphabet Murders is a stand-alone movie, with Tony Randall as Poirot.
  • Murder on the Orient Express ’74, Death on the Nile ‘78, Evil Under the Sun, Thirteen at Dinner, Murder in Three Acts, Dead Man’s Folly and Appointment with Death are all part of the same series, with Albert Finney as Poirot in the first entry, and Peter Ustinov taking over as Poirot for the remaining instalments.
  • Murder on the Orient Express ’17, Death on the Nile ’22, and A Haunting in Venice are part of the same series, with Kenneth Branagh as Poirot.
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Who are the cast of the Poirot movies?

Image: ©EMI

The Hercule Poirot movie series has attracted a wealth of well-known actors. In fact, the list of names is pretty exhaustive; but here goes, anyway…

Notable cast members in the series include Austin Trevor, Tony Randall, Julian Glover, Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Martin Balsam, Ingrid Bergman, Jacqueline Bisset, Sean Connery, John Gielgud, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Michael York, Peter Ustinov, Lois Chiles, Bette Davis, Mia Farrow, David Niven, Maggie Smith, Olivia Hussey, Angela Lansbury, Roddy McDowall, Sylvia Miles, Diana Rigg, Carrie Fisher, Piper Laurie, Hayley Mills, Lauren Bacall, David Soul…

…Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Olivia Colman, Russell Brand, Annette Bening, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Letitia Wright, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, and Michelle Yeoh.

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Who directed the Hercule Poirot movies?

Image: ©20th Century

The Hercule Poirot movies are the work of multiple directors.

Leslie S. Hiscott directed Alibi and Black Coffee, Henry Edwards directed Lord Edgware Dies, Frank Tashlin directed The Alphabet Murders, and Sidney Lumet directed Murder on the Orient Express ’74.

John Guillermin directed Death on the Nile ‘78, Guy Hamilton directed Evil Under the Sun, and Lou Antonio directed Thirteen at Dinner.

Gary Nelson directed Murder in Three Acts, Clive Donner directed Dead Man’s Folly and Michael Winner directed Appointment with Death.

Kenneth Branagh directed Murder on the Orient Express ’17, Death on the Nile ’22 and A Haunting in Venice.

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If you’re a fan of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, then you may wish to dip into the classic Poirot television series too. The TV series – which spanned 25 years – adapted all of Poirot’s famous cases and has proved to be one of the best-loved takes on this character.

And if the series interests you, then you might like to know that all of the episodes are available in one handy DVD box set, called The Agatha Christie’s Poirot Complete Cases Collection.

The Agatha Christie’s Poirot Complete Cases Collection includes 33 discs and is available on Region 1 DVD. The boxset is available from all good entertainment stockists, including Amazon US.

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I hope this information about the Hercule Poirot series has proved useful. Should you wish to read more mystery-related posts on It’s A Stampede!, please check out the recommended reads below.

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Disclaimer: I earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.

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