Based on the classic mystery by Agatha Christie and adapted by Siân Ejiwunmi-Le Berre, the BBC has revealed the full casting for their two-part thriller as filming begins.
Based on the classic mystery by Agatha Christie, Murder is Easy is set in England in 1954. On a train to London, Fitzwilliam meets Miss Pinkerton who tells him that a killer is on the loose in the sleepy English village of Wychwood under Ashe.
The villagers believe the deaths are mere accidents, but Miss Pinkerton knows otherwise - and when she's later found dead on her way to Scotland Yard, Fitzwilliam feels he must find the killer before they can strike again. Because for a certain kind of person, murder is easy.
Joining Penelope Wilton as Miss Pinkerton and David Jonsson as Fitzwilliam will be Morfydd Clark as Bridget, Penelope Wilton as Miss Pinkerton, Sinead Matthews as Miss Waynflete, Tom Riley as Lord Whitfield, Douglas Henshall as Major Horton, Mathew Baynton as Dr Thomas, Mark Bonnar as Reverend Humbleby, Nimra Bucha as Mrs Humbleby, Tamzin Outhwaite as Mrs Pierce, Jon Pointing as Rivers, and Phoebe Licorish making her screen debut as Rose.
Speaking about today's casting news, executive producer for Agatha Christie Limited, James Prichard, said "Once again my great grandmother’s stories have attracted some amazing talent. It is so exciting to see this group of actors embark on the re-telling of this great story. The concept of evil lurking in the quintessentially English village is a familiar trope, but what exactly it is that makes murder easy remains to be revealed."
To which executive producer for Mammoth Screen, James Gandhi, added " Siân Ejiwunmi-Le Berre’s amazing adaptation of Murder is Easy digs into the divides at the heart of post-war English society, and we feel so lucky that the village of Wychwood is going to be brought to life by a dream cast. With Meenu Gaur at the directing helm and David Jonsson playing the lead, this promises to be a thrilling ride!"
Murder is Easy is made by Mammoth Screen (part of ITV Studios) and Agatha Christie Limited, and is a co-commission between the BBC and BritBox International. Adapted by Siân Ejiwunmi-Le Berre, it's being directed by Meenu Gaur and produced by Karen Kelly and has been cast by casting directors Karen Lindsay-Stewart and Emily Jacobs.
Executive producers are Siân Ejiwunmi-Le Berre, James Prichard for Agatha Christie Limited, James Gandhi and Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen, Danielle Scott-Haughton for the BBC, and Reemah Sakaan and Stephen Nye for BritBox International.
Speaking about Murder is Easy, the BBC's Director of Drama, Lindsay Salt, said "With an intriguing central mystery and a fantastic creative team behind the camera, it’s no surprise that this new adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic whodunnit has attracted a who’s who of UK acting talent to bring Murder is Easy to the screen. BBC viewers are in for a treat that will keep them guessing to the very end."
To which CEO BritBox International, Reemah Sakaan, said "With the combination of such a stellar cast, and source material that’s second to none, Murder Is Easy is set to be a huge draw for our international markets, and a great addition to BritBox’s collection of much-loved Christie classics. We are delighted to partner again with Mammoth Screen and Agatha Christie Limited to adapt another gripping Christie title, over a year on from our successful launch of Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? as part of our further three project deal, working with such a world class production team."
Murder is Easy will air on BBC One