With the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the DCU, the MonsterVerse, and plenty of other cinematic universes out there, it seems like every franchise is a part of one. There is one in particular, however, that is truly surprising. Many moviegoers may not even be aware of it, but there is a cinematic universe based on the stories of Agatha Christie, the acclaimed author of many detective novels and short stories.

This Christie-verse (which doesn’t officially have a name quite yet), began in 2017 with Murder on the Orient Express. The whodunit genre had returned to the big screen in a fantastic way. Then in 2022, Death on the Nile hit theaters, solidifying this as a twisted-yet-fun connected series of murder mysteries. Now A Haunting in Venice is making its way to theaters as well, making it the third modern adaptation of an Agatha Christie mystery novel. A Haunting in Venice is based on Hallowe’en Party but the title was changed, likely to match the naming scheme of its predecessors.

These three films may seem like standalone, unconnected stories on the surface, but they are, in fact, connected. The world-class detective who serves as the protagonist in the three movies is the same character. He’s none other than Hercule Poirot, played by Kenneth Branagh. Hercule Poitor is one of Christie’s most famous and longest-running characters. The detective has appeared in 33 novels, 2 plays, and 51 short stories written by Christie. Having this iconic character portrayed by the same actor solidifies that these films are all connected.

People sometimes seem surprised or unaware that the films are related. Popular movie Tiktok creator Straw Hat Goofy made a video about his surprise that Death on the Nile was technically a sequel to Murder on the Orient Express. Those who’ve seen them or read the classic novels would already know, though.

Although the movies are connected, each one truly feels like a standalone story. This makes this particular cinematic universe much easier to follow and keep up with than others. Folks who have seen each movie may feel rewarded, but they can completely be watched on their own for those who haven’t seen them yet. Knowing the main character from previous films, though, can make his journey in newer ones that much more intriguing. The Knives Out film series is now doing something similar as well.

Since Agatha Christie wrote so many stories that take place within the same canon, there can easily be tons of movies made for this cinematic universe. The future for other potential Agatha Christie mystery adaptations certainly seems bright because of that. It’s been a great series so far, even if it seems out of left field at first. 

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