A Haunting In Venice Cast & Character Guide: Who's Who In The New Agatha Christie Movie (2024)

The third movie in Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot series is on its way with the A Haunting in Venice cast continuing the trend of a star-studded murder mystery ensemble based on Agatha Christie's 1969 novel Hallowe'en Party. Following Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, Branagh returns as director for this third adaptation of Agatha Christie’s work This one is an adaptation of the 1969 novel Hallowe’en Party. Of course, Branagh will once again be returning to play Poirot, the brilliant and eccentric Belgian detective leading the A Haunting in Venice cast.

The third movie in Kenneth Branagh's Hercule Poirot trilogy changes elements of the original novel, including switching out the England setting, and A Haunting in Venice will also find Branagh’s Poirot retired and living in exile. When he reluctantly attends a séance, he finds himself once again required to solve a murder when one of the guests is killed. Joining Branagh for A Haunting in Venice is an all-star cast that includes an Oscar winner, a comedy star, and some up-and-coming talent. Along with the intriguing mystery, the A Haunting in Venice cast looks to be a major draw for the movie.

Kenneth Branagh As Hercule Poirot

Kenneth Branagh stars as Hercule Poirot in A Haunting in Venice. Branagh is the most recent in a long line of actors who have played Poirot with this being his third outing as the famous detective following Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. Branagh’s take on the character has put Poirot at center stage more so than most versions with Death on the Nile even offering a Poirot origin. That trend looks to continue in this new movie with a retired Poirot seemingly haunted by his past which is fitting for the story.

Beyond playing Hercule Poirot, Kenneth Branagh is an Oscar-nominated actor and filmmaker known for his Shakespearean adaptations like Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, and Hamlet in all of which he also starred. He has also appeared in the Harry Potter franchise as Gilderoy Lockhart. He has also appeared in movies like My Week with Marilyn, Valkyrie, and Wild Wild West. He has appeared in a number of Christopher Nolan movies including most recently in the cast of Oppenheimer. As a director, Branagh has worked on Thor, Cinderella, and Belfast and will helm the live-action Gargoyles movie.

Michelle Yeoh As Joyce Reynolds

Michelle Yeoh stars as Joyce Reynolds in A Haunting in Venice. In the original Agatha Christie novel, Joyce is in attendance at the Halloween Party and remarks that she witnessed a murder at a young age but ends up dead before she can give the details. The movie sees Joyce reimagined as a medium who conducts a séance. It also appears as though Yeoh may be the first victim of the movie to kick off the mystery in A Haunting in Venice.

Yeoh is a legendary Chinese action star who proved herself in the genre with movies like Police Story 3. She found her breakout Hollywood role starring opposite Pierce Brosnan in the James Bond adventure Tomorrow Never Dies. Yeoh also starred in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Sunshine, and Crazy Rich Asians. She became the first Chinese actor to win an Oscar in a leading role with the Best Picture winner Everything Everywhere All At Once. Yeoh recently was part of the voice cast for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and will join the Avatar franchise in the upcoming Avatar 3.

Camille Cottin As Olga Seminoff

Camille Cottin stars as Olga Seminoff in A Haunting in Venice. In the novel, Olga is a young au pair from Herzegovina who was in the service of Mrs. Llwewllyn-Smythe, a wealthy widow who died prior to the events of the novel. Following her employer's death, Olga disappeared. Given that Cottin is in the main cast of the movie, it will be interesting to see how this character who is largely absent in the books is dealt with.

Outside of the cast of A Haunting in Venice, Camille Cottin is a French actor and comedian who found her beak on the hidden camera show Connasse. She has appeared in a number of Hollywood projects, including alongside Brad Pitt in Allied and alongside Matt Damon in Stillwater. She has also appeared on Killing Eve as Hélène.

Jamie Dornan As Dr. Leslie Ferrier

Jamie Dornan's character in A Haunting in Venice is Dr. Leslie Ferrier. This character appears to be another big change from the book as Ferrier was originally a law clerk who was killed before the events of the novel with his death tied to several of the characters. The A Haunting in Venice trailer seems to show Dornan with the rest of the cast suggesting that he does not simply appear in flashbacks and perhaps his death kicks off the mystery.

Joining the cast of A Haunting in Venice is one of several notable blockbuster roles for Jamie Dornan, despite his name not being as well known as Kenneth Brannagh, Michelle Yeoh, or Tina Fey. Dornan is an Irish actor who is best known for his role as Christian Grey in the Fifty Shades of Grey movies. Dornan also worked with Branagh before in the Oscar-winning Belfast while he also recently starred opposite Gal Gadot in the Netflix actioner Heart of Stone.

Tina Fey As Ariadne Oliver

Tina Fey joins the A Haunting in Venice cast as Ariadne Oliver. In the novel, Ariadne is a crime novelist and friend of Poirot who accompanies him to the Halloween party. The trailer for the movie suggests the friendship between Poirot and Ariadne is a part of the movie, however, the story has her bringing the detective along to a séance to help her discredit the supposed medium.

Fey has become a modern comedy legend which began with her time on Saturday Night Live. Along with being a cast member and co-anchor on Weekend Update, she also became the show's first female head writer. She went on the create and star in the Emmy-winning sitcom 30 Rock. In movies, Fey has starred in Mean Girls, Date Night, Sisters, and provided her voice for the Pixar movie Soul. She also returns for season 3 Only Murders in the Building as Cinda Canning.

Kelly Reilly As Rowena Drake

Kelly Reilly joins A Haunting in Venice cast as Rowena Drake. In the novel, Rowena is the organizer of the Halloween party and a woman who has been surrounded by death as the niece of the late Mrs. Llewellyn-Smythe as well as a widower herself. In the movie, it appears as though Rowena attends the séance to connect with a child who has passed away.

Another name in the A Haunting in Venice cast who's joined the project at an apparent turning point in their career, Reilly is an Irish actor who found a breakout role in 2005's Pride & Prejudice and opposite Michael Fassbender in the thriller Eden Lake. In the 2020s, Kell Reilly is easily best known for playing Beth Dutton in Yellowstone, but has also appeared in Sherlock Holmes, Flight, Calvary, and will appear in Robert Zemeckis's Here, starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright.

Kyle Allen As Maxine Gerard

Kyle Allen’s A Haunting in Venice character is Maxime Gerard. Interestingly, there are no characters by that name in the original novel. Branagh’s Poirot movies have often changed the characters or created composite characters to fit the movie. It is entirely possible Maxime Gerard is a new take on an exciting character with the most likely being, Michael Garfield, a gardener with an obsession with beauty. Allen is an up-and-coming talent best known as Mark in The Map of Tiny Perfect Things. He has also appeared in West Side Story, The Greatest Beer Run Ever, and was to set play He-man in the canceled Netflix Masters of the Universe movie.

Jude Hill as Leopold Ferrier

Jude Hill's character in A Haunting in Venice is Leopold Ferrier. In the novel, Leopold Reynolds is the brother of a young woman whose death kicks off the mystery. Hill's age does not match the character and the character's last name suggests he is related to Dr. Leslie Ferrier instead, signaling another drastic change from the book. Hill is a relative newcomer who broke out with his lead role in Kenneth Branagh's Belfast in which he played the son of Jamie Dornan's character. Hill will next be seen opposite Nicole Kidman in the thriller Holland, Michigan.

Ali Khan As Nicholas Holland

Ali Khan plays Nicholas Holland in A Haunting in Venice. Though there is no character by that precise name in the book, it would seem that Khan is playing a reworking of the character Nicholas Ransom, a young man who attends the Halloween party. Khan is a UK actor whose young career includes roles in Michael Bay's 6 Underground starring Ryan Reynolds, The School for Good and Evil, and an episode of the Halo series.

Emma Laird as Desdemona Holland

Emma Laird's A Haunting in Venice character is Desmonda Holland. Desmonda appears to be the gender-switched character of Desmond Holland from the book who was another young man at the Halloween party alongside Nicholas Ransom. It seems as though Desmonda and Nicholas are made to be siblings or a married couple in the movie. Laird is a British actor and newcomer who plays Iris alongside Jeremy Renner in the cast of Mayor of Kingstown, and appeared opposite Tom Holland in the miniseries The Crowded Room.

Riccardo Scamarcio As Vitale Portfoglio

Riccardo Scamarcio's A Haunting in Venice character is Vitale Portoglio. This is another character who does not appear in the original novel. However, given the setting of the movie and the fact that Scamarcio is an Italian actor, it could be that one of the local English police officers who become involved with the case in the novel has been changed to a more appropriate Italian character. In that case, it is likely Portfoglio is a reworking of the character of Inspector Timothy Raglan. Outside of the A Haunting in Venice cast, actor Riccardo Scarmarcio is an award-winning actor American audience likely known best as Santino D'Antonio in John Wick: Chapter 2.