BBC announces new Agatha Christie adaptation Towards Zero
The BBC are keeping their Agatha Christie tradition alive!
After the success of BBC's latest Agatha Christie venture, Murder Is Easy, the broadcaster is bringing us another Christie hit with Towards Zero being confirmed to be the next adaptation.
The 1944 novel has already been adapted as a French mystery film, but now will be getting the BBC treatment, being commissioned by Mammoth Screen and Agatha Christie Limited.
Screenwriter Rachel Bennette will be adapting Towards Zero for the screen, who is known for also adapting Zadie Smith hit novel NW, as well as having written on World on Fire and Ripper Street.
According to Deadline, the adaptation will unfold "around the murder of an elderly widow at a clifftop seaside house, linking a failed suicide attempt, a schoolgirl wrongfully accused of theft, and the romantic life of a famous tennis player". Talk about a twisted mystery tale, right?
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The official synopsis for the novel reads: "An elderly widow is murdered at a clifftop seaside house. What is the connection between a failed suicide attempt, a wrongful accusation of theft against a schoolgirl, and the romantic life of a famous tennis player?
"To the casual observer, apparently nothing. But when a house party gathers at Gull’s Point, the seaside home of an elderly widow, earlier events come to a dramatic head. It’s all part of a carefully paid plan – for murder."
A Christie adaptation at Christmas has become a TV hit to look forward to over the years, with Murder Is Easy being the latest and proving popular with viewers.
With a cast led by David Jonsson (Rye Lane), the tale unfolded in a quaint English town with a mystery murderer silently killing off village dwellers, with nobody any the wiser as to who it could be.
But the two-parter was also praised for its ability to include other narratives into the mix, with themes like race, wealth and society being interrogated alongside the usual twisted murder tale.
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As for whether Towards Zero will be released at Christmas, it remains to be seen, but we do know that production is set to get underway this summer. Further details, such as casting, will be announced in due course.
Executive producers for Towards Zero include Christie's great-grandson James Prichard for Agatha Christie Limited, Damien Timmer and Sheena Bucktowonsing for Mammoth Screen, Rachel Bennette, Danielle Scott-Haughton for the BBC, as well as Reemah Sakaan, Stephen Nye, and Robert Schildhouse for BritBox International.
Towards Zero will air on BBC. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
