Just when we thought Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore was the most cursed movie of 2022, here comes Death on the Nile.
The sequel to 2017’s decently fun Murder on the Orient Express stars Gal Gadot (received backlash for her comments on the situation in Israel and Palestine), Armie Hammer (accused of rape and cannibalistic fantasies), Russell Brand (right-wing conspiracy theorist), and Letitia Wright (alleged anti-vaxxer).
On the bright side, Kenneth Branagh’s mustache still looks great.
The Disney-owned 20th Century Studios released the first trailer for Death on the Nile back in August 2020; that one featured a lot more Hammer, who only has one speaking line in the new trailer. He still appears in the film because his “role is significant to the point of being the film’s male lead… Reshoots, after all, could cost tens of millions and would be nearly impossible to pull off given the packed schedules of the ensemble.” At least Fantastic Beasts 3 had time to replace Johnny Depp with Mads Mikkelsen.
Here’s the official plot synopsis.
Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot’s Egyptian vacation aboard a glamorous river steamer turns into a terrifying search for a murderer when a picture-perfect couple’s idyllic honeymoon is tragically cut short. Set against an epic landscape of sweeping desert vistas and the majestic Giza pyramids, this dramatic tale of love gone wrong features a cosmopolitan group of impeccably dressed travelers and enough wicked twists and turns to leave audiences guessing until the final, shocking denouement.
Death on the Nile, which also stars Annette Bening, Ali Fazal, Dawn French, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo, and Jennifer Saunders, opens on February 11, 2022.
