Agatha Christie's The Witness for the Prosecution

The enthralling new adaptation AGATHA CHRISTIE’S THE WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION debuts on Blu-ray and DVD on April 25, 2017 from Acorn, an RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: RLJE) brand. Based on the best-selling novelist of all time’s iconic short story, this Acorn TV Original and BBC co-production stars Toby Jones (Sherlock, Detectorists, Captain America), Andrea Riseborough (Bloodline, Birdman) and Kim Cattrall (Sex and the City). The film was directed by Julian Jarrold (The Crown, The Girl) and adapted by Sarah Phelps, who adapted the critically-acclaimed And Then There Were None in 2015. The Blu-ray and DVD 1-Disc sets feature the feature-length movie, plus bonus interviews, featurettes on the story and fashion ($34.99 each, AcornOnline.com). Agatha Christie’s The Witness for the Prosecution made its U.S. premiere in January on Acorn TV, the premier North American streaming service for world-class television from Britain and beyond.

From the team behind 2015’s wildly successful adaptation of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None comes “a thrilling whodunit packed with Christie’s trademark twists” (EW.com).

In 1920s London, when glamorous Emily French (Cattrall) is brutally murdered in her home, all the evidence points to French’s young lover, Leonard Vole (Billy Howle), to whom the heiress left her fortune. Ms. French’s devoted housekeeper (Monica Dolan, The Casual Vacancy) proclaims Leonard’s guilt, but Leonard insists that his wife, enigmatic chorus girl Romaine (Riseborough), can prove his innocence. As the scandalous crime goes to trial, solicitor John Mayhew (Jones) finds that the case may be his undoing.

Bonus: Interviews (46 min.) and featurettes on the story (24 min.) and fashion (11 min.)

Street Date: April 25, 2017                                 SRP: $34.99 each

DVD 1-Disc Set: 1 feature-length movie plus bonus – Approx. 122 min – SDH subtitles – DVD UPC 054961254590

Blu-ray 1-Disc Set: 1 feature-length movie plus bonus – Approx. 122 min – SDH subtitles – UPC 054961254798

My Thoughts

Agatha Christie's The Witness for the Prosecution is an adaption of the novel of the best-selling novel. The story in set in London in the 1920s. There is a beautiful heiress named Emily French. It seems like she has it all, including love. Then, she turns up murdered and the man she loved is the number one suspect. Leonard, her lover, was the heir to her fortune, even though he already had a wife which makes him doubly suspicious. He swears that his wife can prove he isn't the culprit, even though the housekeeper insists he's the guilty party.  Can he prove his innocence after he goes to trial?

This is a great show with unique story-lines, realistic period costumes and settings, and well-developed characters. I am hoping to see more Agatha Christie adaptions in the future. Every time Acorn releases one, I have to go find the book that inspired it. In addition to the full length film, the DVD offers interviews and featurettes.  If you'd like to grab a copy of this amazing DVD set for yourself, it's available online at Acorn Media and on Amazon.