Ordeal by Innocence: Release date for BBC's Agatha Christie adaptation announced after Ed Westwick recast

The producers have explained why they recast the role

Initially intended for release last Christmas, the BBC's latest adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Ordeal by Innocence was delayed after sexual assault allegations surfaced against Ed Westwick — allegations the actor denies.

The producers of the series later announced they recast the role, assembling the cast and reshooting 35 scenes over 12 days with Christian Cooke in the role.

“Hundreds and hundreds of people’s work would have just gone or been indefinitely delayed,” director Sandra Goldbacher told the Radio Times of the decision to recast. “Which would have been devastating for everyone.”

Goldbacher cited Ridley Scott’s decision to reshoot Kevin Spacey’s scenes in All the Money in the World with Christopher Plummer as inspiration.

“It was like a sort of talisman for us all: he’s done it, so we can do it,” she added.

A new trailer for the series has also been released, featuring shots of Cooke in the role. An air date has also been announced: the three-part series will begin Easter Sunday.

Reshooting was certainly not an easy task due to filming during a different season and assembling the cast, including Bill Nighy, Anna Chancellor, Matthew Goode, and Ella Purnell.

“The technical challenges were reversed. This time, we had the snow, not the sun,” producer Damien Timmer explained, adding that it was "very complicated” to get everyone back together “as we had cast very good — and therefore very busy — actors.”