(UTVNEWS | COLOMBO) – Hugh Laurie has signed up to write, direct, and executive produce a new three-part limited series adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel “Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?” for BritBox.
Marking the biggest U.S. commission to date for the speciality streaming service, the project will be produced by Mammoth Screen which adapted “And Then There Were None” and “The ABC Murders”.
The story, one of Christie’s few not involving either Hercule Poirot or Jane Marple, follows Bobby Jones and his socialite friend Lady Frances Derwent who discover a dying man while hunting for a golf ball.
The amiable pair turn amateur sleuths as they seek to unravel the mystery of the man, who has the picture of a beautiful young woman in his pocket and utters that titular line with his last breath.
The project marks Laurie’s first major TV drama series in the writer and director’s chair. It’s not yet known if he’ll appear on screen, but it is hoped.
The plan is to premiere the series in 2022. Laurie has been on a roll of late with his work on HBO’s sci-fi comedy “Avenue 5” and the PBS mini-series “Roadkill”.