Kenneth Branagh returns as Detective Hercule Poirot in his latest film, "A Haunting in Venice," which had a solid start at the box office with $1.2 million in Thursday previews. The supernatural mystery is projected to debut with earnings between $13 million and $15 million, placing it between the franchise's previous two installments: 2017's «Murder on the Orient Express» and 2022's «Death on the Nile.»
All three movies are adaptations of Agatha Christie's murder mystery novels. «Murder on the Orient Express» was the most successful, opening with $28.6 million and eventually grossing $100 million domestically and $350 million globally. «Death on the Nile,» released during the pandemic with a hefty $90 million budget, had a $12.8 million opening and concluded its box office run with $45.6 million in the U.S. and $137.3 million worldwide. In Thursday previews, «Orient Express» earned $1.6 million, while «Death on the Nile» secured $1.1 million.
Branagh both stars in and directs «A Haunting in Venice,» an adaptation of Christie's 1969 novel «Hallowe'en Party.» Portraying a retired Hercule Poirot, he endeavors to unravel a shocking murder during a Venetian seance.
The ensemble cast includes this year's Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh, Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan, Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, and more. Following «Death on the Nile,» 20th Century Studios scaled down the budget for this latest installment to $60 million.
«A Haunting in Venice» is anticipated to surpass last week's box office leader, Warner Bros.' «The Nun II,» which had an opening haul of $32.6 million.
What is the box office performance of 'A Haunting in Venice' in its Thursday previews?
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