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Fan Fest’s Guest Spot at the ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ World Premiere

I had the utmost pleasure of being invited as a guest to the world premiere of Murder on the Orient Express last Thursday, held at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London.

It was a night of glitz, glamour and random celeb sightings. In honour of the film’s release, here are my top three highlights from the night.

1) The star-studded cast stole the show

Failing to walk in heels on the gleaming red carpet I spotted Daisy Ridley looking stunning in a green flowing dress, looking happier than ever whilst promoting the film to press. She wasn’t the only one to be seen in high spirits, in fact the entire cast including Penelope Cruz, Olivia Colman, Josh Gadd, Michelle Pfeiffer and Johnny Depp (and many more) seemed genuinely thrilled to be a part of a film that has such high class, and deemed a fabulous re-take of a literary classic.

Check out my video of director and lead star of the film Kenneth Branagh introducing the cast at the premiere below:

2) Ridley Scott made an appearance

As I was patiently waiting to get my ticket scanned inside the Albert Hall the man in front of me appeared to be rather popular with guests in the queue for seating, and also looked really familiar – that man turned out to be legendary director Ridley Scott, whose cv includes directing cult classic films such as Alien (1979) and Blade Runner (1982).

The reasoning behind Scott’s appearance at the premiere of Murder on the Orient Express isn’t actually a big shock. In fact, he’s just one of the numerous producers on the film, along with his production company ‘Scott Free Productions’ giving a helping hand in making the film as glorious as it is.

The film is a total delight to watch

Just like the title implies, the film’s narrative explores the ghastly murder of an individual on board the luxurious Orient Express train, and ultimately halts its journey through Europe – much to the passenger’s dismay. Only one extraordinary detective can solve the whodunit case and that’s the famous moustached sleuth Hercule Poirot (Branagh).

Ultimately, Sir Kenneth Branagh solely deserves a tremendous round of applause for the talent he has of multi-tasking both directing and having the role of the main protagonist. He enlists a stellar cast to re-tell Agatha Christie’s 1939 crime novel and manages to revive it with a mixture of comedic elements, visually pleasuring landscapes and a score that keeps us on the edge of our seats.

After the credits rolled, it was time to leave. As I left the top entrance of the grand seating area and began taking steps down the stairs Michelle Pfeiffer strode out of another exit just a few inches away. I had no words. Simply put, she stunned. Shoes off, rocking a silver gown she looked like she had the best evening – and it was.

Murder on the Orient Express is a strong re-make of a classic story that will make you want to grab the novel and read it instantly. Worth the ticket? Most definitely.
 
 
The film is released November 10th in the US and is out now in the UK.