It's been two long years since we received the news that Netflix and Stephen Spielberg's production company, Amblin Entertainment, were adapting Richard Osman’s 2020 bestseller, The Thursday Murder Club, and we’ve been desperate to see our favourite amateur OAP detectives brought to life ever since. Now, the wait is finally over as the most revealing update yet has just arrived in the form of the first trailer! And we're pleased to say that stars Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan are impeccable in it.
As fans of Richard Osman’s bestselling book will know, the story follows four feisty residents of a UK retirement home who solve cold-case murders for fun. But when a death happens close to home, the quartet get caught up in a thrilling and humorous whodunnit. And if the newly-released trailer, which you can watch below, is anything to go by, fun is certainly what we're going to get from the film!
Ahead of its arrival in cinemas and on our TV screens, here's everything you need to know about The Thursday Murder Club film, including the plot, cast and release date.
What is The Thursday Murder Club about?
Described by Netflix as "a whodunnit with teeth - false ones, of course", we know that the film will follow the same storyline as Richard Osman's bestselling 2020 book, which follows a group of friends, Joyce, Elizabeth, Ron and Ibrahim, in a retirement home who gather every Thursday to solve cold case murders for fun. But when one thing leads to another (as all good murder cases do), the gang find themselves caught up in a very real and very dangerous case - and they'll stop at nothing to help the police catch the right suspect.
While the film is based on the first book in the hugely successful Thursday Murder Club series, there are also three further books in the series, which means this could be the first in a series of films - at least we hope it is! In fact, Osman recently took to social media to reveal that a fifth book is in the works, too, so it seems the sky's the limit.
Richard Osman also recently revealed a surprising insight into The Thursday Murder Club film, admitting he's chosen not to be involved in writing the script. "I wasn't involved in the script or anything like that," he told BBC Bookclub, explaining that this was was very much "a deliberate choice".
He went on to share that when it comes to script writing, "you're either really involved or you're not, and I honestly would rather spend my time writing another book than getting involved in all of that so I absolutely left them to it."
You can watch the new trailer, which features priceless performances from Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan and Celia Imrie, below:
Who's starring in The Thursday Murder Club film?
Very excitingly, we can expect to see a huge array of acting legends in the lead roles. Helen Mirren is perfectly cast as former spy and retiree Elizabeth Best who's the brains behind the operation; Sir Ben Kingsley takes on the role of softly spoken, reclusive ex-psychiatrist, Ibrahim Arif; Pierce Brosnan is headstrong, rough-around-the-edges, former union activist, Ron Richie; and Celia Imrie plays Joyce Meadowcroft, a former nurse who's kind, funny and should absolutely not be underestimated.
In a behind-the-scenes photo, Pierce posted a shot of his mother, May Carmichael, with his co-stars on set during the summer, while Richard Osman posted a great picture of him looking like a "competition winner" next to Steven Spielberg.
Richard noted on his podcast, The Rest is Entertainment, that "this is the greatest British cast assembled since the [Harry Potter] movies," and he’s not wrong. In addition to the four leads, Naomi Ackie will play police constable Donna de Freitas who gets embroiled in The Thursday Murder Club’s escapades; Sarah Niles is Donna’s mother Patrice; Jonathan Pryce is Elizabeth’s husband, Stephen; and Richard Osman’s wife, Ingrid Oliver, is playing Joyce’s daughter, Joanna.
Rounding off the exceptional cast is David Tennant; Daniel Mays; Henry Lloyd-Hughes; Richard E Grant (apparently playing “a baddie”); Tom Ellis; Geoff Bell; and Paul Freeman.
Judging by the cast's Instagram antics, it seems a lot of fun has been had during the filming of the project. Pierce Brosnan brought his mum to The Thursday Murder Club set, and posted a sweet photo of himself and his mum with his fellow cast members, Helen Mirren, Celia Imrie and Sir Ben Kingsley.
Helen Mirren, who plays Elizabeth, has said she was a fan of Richard Osman's book - and her character - long before she found out about the film. "I sort of went, 'Oh, if they ever make a movie of it, I'd love to play that role.' And I very, very rarely feel that, but I have to confess, I did feel that this time," she has said.
As for Osman himself, he sadly won’t be starring in the film. “I might do one little voice thing, but I can't be [in it],” he has said. “People going, 'Why is the guy from Pointless in a Sussex police station?'. It'd be a bit odd."
How closely will The Thursday Murder Club film follow the book?
As we mentioned, we know the storyline will largely remain the same, but speaking on his podcast, The Rest is Entertainment, Richard Osman revealed that certain details will have to be tweaked for the film version.
"With The Thursday Murder Club, there are certain changes they would make that you would be consulted on. Certainly if you made it in America rather than England, that would be a thing," he said.
"The plot, as I understand it, for The Thursday Murder Club movie is based on the first book but it's not entirely the same, because you have to change things is the truth." It looks like we'll have to tune in to find out what those changes will be!
How can I watch The Thursday Murder Club film?
At last, we have a release date! Netflix has shared that the film will be available to watch on 28th August. The countdown is on!
