Netflix has enlisted Chris Columbus, the director behind the first two Harry Potter films, to helm the adaptation of Richard Osman’s bestselling novel The Thursday Murder Club. The film, set in the Coopers Chase retirement village in Kent, follows four sharp-minded pensioners who turn their weekly crime-solving meetings into a real murder investigation.
Columbus, who also directed Mrs Doubtfire and Home Alone, says his five years living in the UK during the Potter franchise gave him an appreciation for British humour. “I grew quite fond of the dark, edgy British humour and I managed to incorporate some of that into those films and much more of it into The Thursday Murder Club,” he said.
The star-studded cast includes Helen Mirren as Elizabeth Best, Pierce Brosnan as Ron Ritchie, Ben Kingsley as Ibrahim Arif, and Celia Imrie as Joyce Meadowcroft. David Tennant plays Ian Ventham, a co-owner of the retirement village, and Naomi Ackie portrays PC Donna De Freitas. The production also saw a visit from Steven Spielberg.
Writer Katy Brand was chosen after Columbus rejected earlier scripts that strayed too far from the novel. “When I met with Katy, I was convinced she not only understood what made the novel so popular, but she also had the vision to write a film that was faithful to the source material,” Columbus said.
The Thursday Murder Club is set to bring Osman’s beloved characters to life, with the cast praising the novel’s charm and the collaborative atmosphere on set.
