It might surprise you to learn that there is no official John Malkovich Poirot Season 2. The most notable television adaptation featuring John Malkovich playing Hercule Poirot is the three-part miniseries The ABC Murders (2018), written by Sarah Phelps and produced by the BBC. Because that series is a standalone adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel, talk of a second season with John Malkovich as Poirot is speculative or fictional at this point. Nonetheless, exploring how the adaptation was received, what creative choices it took, and what possibilities might lie ahead can be an engaging exercise for fans of Christie, Malkovich, and Poirot alike.
The 2018 Miniseries John Malkovich as Poirot
In The ABC Murders, John Malkovich steps into the role of the legendary Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. The drama runs over three episodes and reimagines many of the events of the original novel in a darker, more introspective style than many classic adaptations. While faithful on a broad level to the novel’s structure, the miniseries diverges in many details-especially by adding depth to Poirot’s backstory, adjusting characters, and amplifying emotional undercurrents. Critics and audiences reacted with a mixture of admiration and criticism for those changes.
Creative Choices and Narrative Tone
This adaptation chooses to portray Poirot as older, wearied, and haunted by personal history. The production frames him as something of a reluctant hero, rather than the confident, upright sleuth often seen in other versions. The tension in the series often stems not just from the mystery, but from Poirot wrestling with his own past and reputation.
The miniseries also streamlines the cast and reshuffles character roles. For example, Captain Hastings is completely omitted. Inspector Japp is replaced by Inspector Crome, who becomes the main police counterpart. Some character relationships and motivations are altered, including reworked alliances and hints of deception in the backstories. These choices reflect an effort to modernize and deepen the narrative rather than offering a purely period-accurate version.
Reception and Criticism
The reception was mixed. Some praised the moody cinematography, the ambitious reimagining, and Malkovich’s performance as a character under strain. Others, especially fans of classic Poirot adaptations, found the changes too radical. The Guardian’s review called the adaptation magnificent in portraying a suffering Poirot, yet noted that it diverged strongly from the familiar, neatly polished versions of the detective. Critics also pointed out that the remake leaned heavily into drama, sometimes at the expense of intricate sleuthing or clear deduction.
Why There Is No Season 2 (Yet)
Because The ABC Murders was produced as a finite three-episode series, it was never positioned to continue into multiple seasons. It is structured more like a mini-series than a serial with cliffhangers built for renewal. In addition, rights issues, source material limitations, and the particular adaptation’s narrative closure all suggest that a second season would require new stories beyond this single novel.
Without more Agatha Christie novels to adapt in exactly the same tone with that specific cast, a hypothetical season 2 would have to be original or pull from other Poirot stories-each with its own challenges. Even more, John Malkovich may or may not be available or interested in continuing the role under the same production framework.
Possible Directions for a Hypothetical Season 2
- Adapt another novel or short story The producers could explore adapting another of Poirot’s adventures, with similar stylistic choices, but that would require reworking characters and possibly continuing or rebooting Crome’s role.
- Original story inspired by Poirot’s world A new mystery could be written in the same tone, weaving in themes of identity, aging, and regret that suited this version’s portrayal of Poirot.
- Anthology-style approach Future seasons could adopt a structure where each season is a single novel adaptation, much like certain crime or anthology series do.
Each option presents challenges in balancing respect for Christie’s legacy with the darker, more introspective version of Poirot that this adaptation offers.
Legacy of the Malkovich Poirot Adaptation
This adaptation stands as a bold reimagining, one that asks whether the famously orderly, methodical detective might also harbor inner turmoil. It expanded the idea of what a Poirot story could be-less a clean puzzle and more a character study wrapped around mystery. While it may not satisfy purists, it contributes to broader conversations about how classic characters can be revisited for modern audiences.
By placing a known actor like John Malkovich in the role, the adaptation invited both enthusiasm and skepticism. For some viewers, the very idea of a Season 2 is a tempting possibility of what might come next-but for now, this version remains contained in the three episodes of The ABC Murders. For fans eager for more of this darker, haunting Poirot, it remains an open question whether future seasons or spin-offs might ever come to pass.
Until then, enthusiasts can revisit the series, compare it to classic adaptations, and imagine how new chapters might unfold in this version of Poirot’s saga.