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Agatha Christie thriller 'The Pale Horse' greenlit by BBC One and Amazon for the small screen

The drama, which is one of Christie's later works, follows events that take place after a list of names is found in the shoe of a dead woman and one of the named persons decides to investigate the mystery.

The BBC has greenlit a two-part adaptation of 'The Pale Horse', one of Agatha Christie’s later works, with Amazon Prime Video on board to co-produce and to show it in the U.S. The drama follows events that take place after a list of names is found in the shoe of a dead woman. 

The action takes place as one of the named persons - Mark Easterbrook - starts investigating the list and is drawn to The Pale Horse - the home of a trio of rumored witches living in a small village called Much Deeping. The witches are believed to be able to do away with wealthy relatives using dark arts. But Easterbrook is certain there must be a rational explanation and tries to get to the bottom of things. 

Sarah Phelps ('The Witness For The Prosecution') has scripted the two-part drama which will be made by ITV-backed British producer Mammoth Screen. Leonora Lonsdale ('Beast') is attached to direct, and Ado Yoshizaki Cassuto ('City of Tiny Lights') will produce. 

Phelps was widely acclaimed for her TV version of Christie's 'And Then There Were None'. "Written in 1961, against the backdrop of the Eichmann trial, the escalation of the Cold War and Vietnam, ‘The Pale Horse’ is a shivery, paranoid story about superstition, love gone wrong, guilt and grief," Phelps reportedly said in a statement. "It’s about what we’re capable of when we’re desperate and what we believe when all the lights go out and we’re alone in the dark," she added.

James Prichard, executive producer and CEO of Agatha Christie Limited, said: "'The Pale Horse' was one of the later novels penned by my great grandmother, written as it was in the 1960s. This new drama allows writer Sarah Phelps to continue her exploration of the 20th century through Christie’s stories, with the book’s fantastic, foreboding atmosphere completely suited to Sarah’s unique style of adaptation."

'The Pale Horse' is the latest Christie project from Mammoth and the BBC. No casting details or premiere date have been announced yet.