John Malkovich to play English version of Poirot in BBC Christmas special The ABC Murders: 'People may hate it'

'There may have been some worries that we weren’t saluting the character'

(BBC)

John Malkovich is predicting that Hercule Poirot fans “may hate” his English take on the Agatha Christie detective will air on television this Christmas.

The actor will head up the BBC‘s three-part festive adaptation of Christie’s The ABC Murders, but will offer a rather different version of the character.

He will bypass the Belgian accent and waxed moustache in favour of an English diction and goatee beard, something he believes purists could detest.

Malkovich told Radio Times: “There was a certain amount of convincing the Agatha Christie estate about this version, and I was involved in some of those conversations. There was never anything unpleasant or difficult.“

He continued: “But obviously this is a very known and loved character, and there may have been some worries that we weren’t, as it were, saluting that. Poirot and Christie fans may just hate all this, I have no idea.”

According to Malkovich, it was the decision of director Alex Gabassi who he claims wanted this version of Poirot to match the Oscar-nominated actor’s own look of bald head and beard.

“I said ‘sure, that’s the way I normally look, if that’s what you want, then fine’,” Malkovich said.

The adaptation comes from Sarah Phelps, who is behind all three of the channel's previous Christie projects Ordeal By Innocence, And Then There Were None and last year's The Witness for the Prosecution. This one will co-star Rupert Grint, Andrew Buchan (Broadchurch) and Skins star Freya Major.

It will air as part of the BBC’s bustling Christmas lineup which also includes Doctor Who, Watership Down and a new series of Luther. Outside of the UK, it'll launch on Amazon Prime.