BBC's New Agatha Christie Series Based On Iconic Detective Rounds Out Full Cast With Game Of Thrones Stars

CI/DDP/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images Published Aug 4, 2026, 12:13 PM EDT Dan Zinski is a freelance scribe currently contributing to ScreenRant as a movie and TV news writer. He previously wrote for FanSided, The Viking Age and Lightly Buzzed. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Some Westerosi luminaries are invading the world of Agatha Christie. Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile are just two of the many mystery titles written by the legendary Christie, whose most famous character, Hercule Poirot, has been placed at the center of a trilogy of recent movie adaptations from actor-director Kenneth Branagh. The man with the glorious mustache and equally impressive crime-solving mind is now getting a new TV series treatment from BBC and BritBox, with A Discovery of Witches star Edward Bluemel as a young version of the sleuth. Bluemel will have more-than-able backing as he takes on the daunting role of Poirot in Hercule, including support from a pair of Game of Thrones franchise stars, along with a deep bench of distinguished performers, as just revealed by BBC and BritBox. GoT baddie Jack Gleeson leads the rundown of new cast additions, along with Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Daeron Targaryen actor Henry Ashton. The two Game of Thrones veterans are joined by James D'Arcy (Oppenheimer), Calvin Demba (Supacell), Phil Dunning (Am I Being Unreasonable?), Tamsin Greig (Friday Night Dinner), James Nesbitt (Cold Feet), Guy Remmers (The Buccaneers), Rebecca Rittenhouse (His & Hers), and Mawaan Rizwan (Juice). Character specifics have not yet been disclosed. The series’ synopsis reads, “Hercule will chronicle the story of the world’s greatest detective – and how he became it. The series, due to commence filming soon, primarily in Liverpool, is an intimate study of Hercule Poirot, the man and an epic portrait of Britain between the wars. It will center around three of Christie’s early stories, while also introducing Hercule Poirot to future friends and allies and one particular nemesis.” Touted as the youngest actor ever to play Poirot, Hercule star Bluemel has some big shoes to fill in taking on the role of Christie’s renowned detective. Branagh has made the role his own, of course, though his trio of big-screen adaptations continues to divide fans. On the small-screen, the definitive take on the mustache-wearing Belgian crime-solver was created by David Suchet in the long-running series Poirot. Calling the ITV show “flawless in every way,” a June 2026 ScreenRant article on Poirot hinted at just how big a challenge BBC and BritBox have in matching Suchet and company’s efforts. “David Suchet’s performance as Hercule Poirot is so definitive that Kenneth Branagh never stood a chance of touching him,” reads the glowing article. “Every aspect of the eccentric detective’s persona is carefully crafted with just the right amount of deference for how Agatha Christie paints him on the page.” Newly-announced Hercule cast member Jack Gleeson is himself no stranger to the pressures of playing a literary character from a beloved franchise, having been cast as Game of Thrones’ evil King Joffrey, a role whose reception by fans caused the actor to step away from performing for a few years.