Wait... Is this confirmed or just a wish list?  What's the source?

collected from various sources! as we did not get a press release yet, we have to puzzle the cast together from bits and bobs here and there...

they still have to be confirmed with a press release! and surely we eagerly wait for the rest of the cast list :)

brian j. smith said "amazing cast!!!"

The first two are definitely correct. If in doubt, the Wikipedia page that lists the Poirot episodes has links to Twitter pages that provide confirmation of these casting tidbits. Joely Richardson is a strong rumour, although nothing has been confirmed (but I think it's only fitting that she have the role).

Brian J. Smith is most likely going to be Hector MacQueen. He's the right age for the character. Elena Satine is definitely playing Countess Andrenyi, even if it hasn't been confirmed yet. I mean, she's going to speak three languages in the film, and her first name is Elena! Not only that, but she looks stunningly gorgeous.

In all honesty, I'm a bit disappointed that these actors aren't more well-known. They haven't been in many films, according to imdb. But they look their parts, so I'm not worrying. I'm sure they'll do excellent.

I am not dissagreeing with you that Joelly Richardson play the role her Mothere played but why is it fitting, If everytime someone played who a relative played Casting would be so much easier. I haven't heard of Brian or Elena either.

brian and elena play smaller roles, guess they have some more big names for the leading characters.

i see a great future for Elena, they always look for actors that have great potential.

Haven't heard of either actor but after looking up miss Satine I have absolutely no doubt that she will be brilliant as Countess Andrenyi. Not only is she stunningly beautiful but her biography states that she studied acting at UK's RADA and Russia's MAT which are 2 of the top acting schools in the world, and she is only 21, my god! I can't wait for the rest of the cast to be unvailed.

Expect the Full Cast Info tomorrow (Tuesday)

Hello everybody, and especially you wolfbridge. Saw this post yesterday and when I was searching the internet i stumbled across this link:

http://www.itv.com/presscentre/pressreleases/programmepressreleases/itvannouncescastandprinciplephotographyformurderontheorientexpress/default.html

I suppose this is the long expected pressrelease for Murder on the Orient express...

But I must admit... I´m not that thrilled sadly :/

Thankyou Carlyle, I thought Jean Simmons was going to be in it but obviously not, The ones I have heard of will be great.

I see David Suchet isd Executive Producer so if he was for Cards On The Table he can take some of the blame.  

I suppose to say that I´m not thrilled is a bit unfair, but I had sooo much hoped for Helen Mirren as mrs Hubbard and Margareth Tyzack as princess Dragomiroff. But I think dame Eileen Atkins as the latter will be fine and as for Barbara Hershey (I suppose its Hershey, not Herhey as it says in the pressrelease?) - well, I haven´t seen that much of her, but the things I have seen were okej and I i think she will work as mrs Hubbard.

The rumour of Joely Richardsson was indeed a rumour.

But why is the swedish missionary done by a canadian woman? It would have been a treat to have a swedish actress in the part since the rest of the cast is very international. Even if Ingrid Bergman is way over the top (but still wonderful in my opinion) in the 1974-version, I don´t think thats bound to happen again :)

Perhaps there weren't any Swedish Actresses available, Jean immons would have been so much better as Mrs Hubbard but it would have been great to Have Margaret Tyzackm in the Production, she was so good as Clotilde Bradbury-Scott in Nemesis

AUGH! Stewart Harcourt is adapting MOTOE? [*beep!*]

Harcourt hasn't done too bad, actually, but I'd feel a lot safer with Kevin Elyot on board. Remember, this is the guy who radically changed By The Pricking of My Thumbs. Yes, I liked it, because (unlike the French adaptation) it stayed true to the original novel's menacing atmosphere. Plus, it had June Whitfield. What more could you want?

But Motoe? All of a sudden, I'm alarmed. Look at these quotes:

"Hercule Poirot is visiting Istanbul, having solved a complex case for the British Army, when he witnesses an act of brutal justice on the streets..."

"Aided by amateur sleuth Dr Constantine (Samuel West), Poirot examines the murder scene (...) The evidence seems to point to a mysterious assassin who got on and off the train but Poirot is not convinced. Isolated by the snow and with civilisation falling apart [???!!!???] Poirot makes a decision that will change his life forever."

This has me scared. True, I overreacted last time with Cat Among the Pigeons (which turned out great), but I accurately predicted the degree of faithfulness for every other Poirot and Marple. I'm getting the same dreadful feeling I got when I heard Tim Curry signed on for Appointment With Death; I immediately realised a faithful adaptation was but a dream. This looks very glum so far indeed.

you are a bit over reacting ;)

that "brutal justice" is usual these days to keep the audience on the channel the first 10 minutes. either that or a SEX scene.

Poirots decision, all we remember who read the book or watched the film: he lets them go.

you can go with Matthew from imdb forums and join a club ;)

Well the announcement is a bit underwhelming, isn't it? Nobody there who you'd be surprised to see appear in any ordinary episode of Poirot.

I suppose Eileen Atkins is one of the biggest names, and I'm sure she'll make a splendid Dragomiroff, although it's not exactly a major coup when she's already appeared in a Marple.

Of the other Brits, Joseph Mawle is a brilliant actor, although not a famous face. Toby Jones is wonderful too. Bonneville is good, Morrissey fine and Sam West ordinary. But why on earth haven't they cast an English actress to play Mary Debenham?! Who is Jessica Chastain when she's at home?

I suppose it's nice that they've gone for genuine Europeans for some of the other parts, but it doesn't make it feel very star-studded.

And I guess the "exciting writer" they were talking about fell through.

Mirren would have been nice, but I'm sure Barbara Hershey will be fine. As for Jean Simmons playing Mrs Hubbard - she's only about 35 years too old for the part! She'd have been the right age when the Finney movie was made!

Ah well, I guess we wait and see...

I have to say, now that I have had some time som think about it - I feel excited. Dame Eileen Atkins is - as you Katherine says - one of the biggest names but that´s good in my opinion since princess Dragomiroff is one of the strongest characters in the story (perhaps together with mrs Hubbard). I also like the idea more and more to have actors from different countries, and when I looked at pictures of them on Imdb many of them felt right :) And I agree with you Katherine, Barbara Hershey will probably work just fine :)

Toby Jones is an interresting choice as Ratchett, perhaps a bit to brittish but still interresting - he tends to have a very pleasent appearance, but can also act out something dangerous and false behind that (like Ratchett).

As for changes, I don´t fear them that much. This is an Christie-icon and I think the writer (Harcourt) will be true to the original, at least to most extent. I seem to miss mr Hardman though? But if any character is to be cut out, he seems as a good choice. As for dr Constantine beeing amateur-detective, I don´t think that has to be a very strong dimension in the film. And the incident in Bagdad mentioned is perhaps just a way of actually stressing the question of justice that is raced in the book.

But, as you say Katherine, we wait and see... and I await this with much interrest.

How exciting!!!! I can't wait to see it. I still remember seeing the 1974 all star film version for the first time. What a joy thay was, especially since this was the first book by Agatha Christie that I had read and the book was a birthday gift from parents.      

Well, perhaps I am overreacting. Nonetheless, after seeing the disaster in At Bertram's Hotel with the "Miss Marple Jr." idea, I'm not very happy about having Dr. Constantine bouncing about to exclaim "a clue!".

Oh yes, how silly of me as to Poirot's decision. I temporarily mixed it up with a very different (implied) choice the 2001 version of MOTOE had him make.... My mistake!

But still-- civilisation falling apart??? We're on a train.

Hm... i interpret the words about "civilisation falling apart" as Poirot having to deal with the case without the assistance of the police or the possibility to check up peoples statements since the train is captured in the snow. In a way that sets the functions of civilisation out.

But that´s only what sprung to my mind when I read those words. I hope I´m right though since i really want this version to be true to the book - not another "Appointment with death".

I had a rather nasty feeling when reading it that they're going to set up the coming of WWII, and set Curtain in that time (which works out better chronologically than having a 90-year old Poirot play matchmaker with an equally-aged Hastings).

Oh dear... well, I hope you are wrong. At least I hope that if they do change anything, if its time or incidents, they do it with a very sensitive hand. Not a complete "murder" as the version of "Appointment with death". At least thats what I think about it.

We can but wait and see, I suppose. Exciting though! :D