‘Victoria’ star and more join BBC’s new Agatha Christie mini-series

The cast has been confirmed for the BBC’s next big Agatha Christie adaptation.

Based on 1961’s The Pale Horse, the upcoming period drama comes from the makers of The ABC Murders, And Then There Were None, Ordeal By Innocence and Witness for the Prosecution.

Filming is currently underway in and around Bristol, England.

Rufus Sewell (Victoria, The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel) will lead the cast as Mark Easterbrook.

He’ll be joined by Kaya Scodelario (Skins) as Hermia, Bertie Carvel (Doctor Foster) as Zachariah Osborne, Sean Pertwee (Elementary) as Detective Inspector Lejeune, Henry Lloyd-Hughes (Indian Summers) as David Ardingly, and Poppy Gilbert (Call the Midwife) as Thomasina Tuckerton.

The cast also includes Claire Skinner (Vanity Fair), Madeleine Bowyer (Britannia) as Jessie Davis, Ellen Robertson (Britney Soho), Sarah Woodward (Queens of Mystery), Georgina Campbell (Black Mirror), Rita Tushingham (Vera), Sheila Atim (Bloodmoon), Kathy Kiera Clarke (Derry Girls).

The official synopsis reads: “The Pale Horse follows Mark Easterbrook as he tries to uncover the mystery of a list of names found in the shoe of a dead woman. His investigation leads him to the peculiar village of Much Deeping, and The Pale Horse, the home of a trio of rumoured witches.

“Word has it that the witches can do away with wealthy relatives by means of the dark arts, but as the bodies mount up, Mark is certain there has to be a rational explanation.”

Screenwriter Sarah Phelps has described the two-part adaptation as “a shivery, paranoid story about superstition, love gone wrong, guilt and grief.”

Executive producer Helen Ziegler commented: “Sarah Phelps has excelled herself with her fifth adaptation of Agatha Christie’s work. The Pale Horse is a stunningly atmospheric, bewitching and thrilling piece, which has attracted the most wonderful stellar cast. We are utterly thrilled to see Sarah’s brilliant writing be brought to life by director Leonora Lonsdale, the fantastic production team and incredible cast.”

The Pale Horse is expected to air on BBC One in the UK this Christmas and it will premiere in the USA on Amazon Prime Video at a later date.

David Suchet revealed earlier this year that he’s up for returning as Poirot in a new film.

Poirot: The Complete Cases Collection DVD box set is available on Amazon.