It's all a-go on The Thursday Murder Club front as production well and truly gets underway on the upcoming Netflix film. Adapted from the hit novel by Richard Osman, there have been a recent slew of pictures shared of the star-studded cast – and Netflix have just shared a snap that takes it all to another level. As well as the likes of Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Celia Imrie and Ben Kingsley leading the cast, Richard Osman posed for a new picture with director Chris Columbus and none other than Steven Spielberg. As for what Spielberg was doing on set, it's because his production company, Amblin Entertainment, is behind the movie adaptation of Osman's novel. Osman had previously shared a picture just this week of him and Spielberg stood in front of a church, writing on X: "On the set of #TheThursdayMurderClub Steven Spielberg meets a competition winner."
The Cast Of The Thursday Murder Club
Filming for the new Netflix movie officially got started this July, and if you think the main cast is full of stars, it doesn't quite stop there. It's also been confirmed that Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes), Naomi Ackie (Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker), David Tennant, Daniel Mays and Henry Lloyd-Hughes are all also joining the cast. The first novel in Osman's Thursday Murder Club series, the new film will adapt the beloved tale which follows four retirees who enjoy nothing more than trying to crack cases. But when they find themselves in the middle of a very much live case, things start to go awry.
A Fan Favourite
And it's not set to be the last of Thursday Murder Club anytime soon, as the book franchise continues to expand. Osman recently shared the news that planning for book number five is currently underway so it's safe to say that the writer and TV presenter is far from idle right now. As of now, a release date for Thursday Murder Club has yet to be announced but we're sure with plenty more filming to come, there will be a wealth of images and behind-the-scenes peaks at what's in store for the crime solving group – we can't wait. The Thursday Murder Club is yet to confirm a release date.
It's All in the Family
Being surrounded by acting royalty would leave most star-struck. But for Mary May Smith it's just another day as Pierce Brosnan's mother. The 90-year-old was again a guest of honour on Brosnan's latest film sets – with the actor making up for lost time after a childhood apart. Brosnan, 71, shared a picture on social media of Ms Smith smiling in a beige jumper and matching trousers alongside his veteran co-stars Sir Ben Kingsley, 80, Dame Helen Mirren, 79, and Celia Imrie, 72. The star-studded cast has been brought together for The Thursday Murder Club, which is being produced by Steven Spielberg, and is based on the 2020 novel of the same name by Richard Osman. Brosnan has previously revealed that he only formed a close relationship with his mother in his adult years. His father left when he was an infant and he was raised by his grandparents in Ireland as Ms Smith, a retired nurse, worked in England to provide for the family and was only able to return to see him once a year. The pair have spent decades making up for lost time with Ms Smith attending various red carpet events and movie sets. The Netflix film has no set release date as yet.
Netflix's Biggest Franchise?
Netflix has had many hits and misses with its original movies, but one of its upcoming murder mystery movies has the potential to become its biggest movie franchise thanks to its incredible cast. Netflix has an interesting list of upcoming movies under its category of Netflix originals, and among them is The Thursday Murder Club. This British crime comedy is based on the 2020 novel of the same name by Richard Osman, and it’s directed by Chris Columbus. The Thursday Murder Club will be joining Netflix’s extensive catalog of crime content, and it has great potential.
A Murder Mystery To Remember
The Thursday Murder Club takes the audience to a retirement village, where four septuagenarian friends meet up once a week to take a look at and investigate unsolved murders. The friends call themselves “The Thursday Murder Club”, but when a local property developer is found dead near the village with a mysterious photograph next to his body, the friends find themselves in the middle of their first live case. While the premise of The Thursday Murder Club is interesting enough to attract my attention, what makes it even more intriguing is its unbelievable cast.
The Star-Studded Cast
The Thursday Murder Club not only has a great director and incredible production team behind it, but it also has a cast that can’t be ignored. Starring in The Thursday Murder Club as the main group of friends – retired spy Elizabeth, former union leader Ron, ex-psychiartist Ibrahim, and former nurse Joyce – are Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie, respectively. Joining them is Jonathan Pryce as Elizabeth’s husband, Stephen, and Naomi Ackie as local police officer Donna De Freitas. The incredible cast of Netflix’s The Thursday Murder Club doesn’t stop there, as it also counts on the talents of David Tennant, Richard E. Grant, Tom Ellis, Daniel Mays, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, and Paul Freeman, all of them in currently undisclosed roles. The main cast have impressive filmographies that cover a variety of genres, but it’s going to be interesting to see them all together in a crime comedy, along with talents like Grant, Tennant, and Ellis, who have shown their acting range in comedy, mystery, thriller, and more over the years.
A New Kind Of Murder Mystery
Of course, given its genre, style, story, and star-studded cast, The Thursday Murder Club has already drawn comparisons to Knives Out. However, Knives Out’s Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is a professional private detective and investigator, while the four friends at the retirement village are amateurs, which adds more comedy to the story.
Franchise Potential
The Thursday Murder Club novel has three sequels, and the book series has been quite successful and popular. Netflix already has a couple of franchises, but The Thursday Murder Club has the potential to become its biggest movie franchise yet. The Thursday Murder Club novel has three sequels, and the book series has been quite successful and popular, so there’s an audience that the film will appeal to – and the cast is enough to gain a wider audience. In addition to the cast and Columbus’ track record, Steven Spielberg is behind it through Amblin Entertainment, and that will be a bigger hook for those who aren’t familiar with the books.
A New Age of Crime Comedies
Surely, Netflix also has Knives Out, which is preparing for its third movie, which is one of the Netflix projects I'm looking forward to the most. However, it’s worth remembering that Knives Out, although Glass Onion was released on Netflix and Wake Up Dead Man will be released there as well, didn’t start as a Netflix original, so The Thursday Murder Club could take the place of Netflix’s biggest crime movie franchise if everything goes as planned.
