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Netflix has come on board “The Thursday Murder Club,” Amblin’s upcoming adaptation of the bestselling novel starring Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan and Ben Kingsley. Chris Columbus is writing and directing the story of a group of friends who solve murders.

The 2020 book by Richard Osman tells the story of four friends who live in a retirement community and take on cold cases for fun. When a shady property developer is found dead, the four find themselves in the middle of their first live crime. Mirren will play ex-spy Elizabeth, Kingsley will play ex-psychiatrist Ibrahim and Brosnan will play former union activist Ron.

Netflix and Amblin’s film partnership also includes the upcoming Jason Bateman-Taron Egerton film “Carry-On.”

Osman, a popular British quiz show presenter, said in a statement, “I’m so proud of this book, so it is a dream to see ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ in such incredible hands.

Exclusive: Netflix just boarded a buzzy one. The streamer has joined The Thursday Murder Club, the Chris Columbus-directed feature adaptation of Richard Osman’s bestselling novel.

Just days after casting on the flick was confirmed with Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan and Ben Kingsley in lead roles, we can reveal that Netflix is now also attached.

The film has been on the boil since September 2020, when Steven Spielberg acquired the adaptation rights from Osman, the British gameshow host, TV exec, screenwriter and novelist. Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment is making it, with Columbus the writer and director.

The film will be the latest to come through Netflix’s film partnership with Amblin, which has already spawned the the upcoming Jaume Collet-Serra action thriller Carry-On, starring Jason Bateman and Taron Egerton.

The story follows a group of elderly friends in a retirement home who gather to solve murders for fun,...

Richard Osman’s best-selling murder mystery novel The Thursday Murder Club is being adapted into a film by writer-director Chris Columbus, with Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren and Ben Kingsley to star.

For a while there, Richard Osman was more widely known in the UK as the clever chap with the laptop on TV quiz show Pointless. In 2020, though, Osman published his debut novel, The Thursday Murder Club, a mystery thriller considered to be such hot property that Amblin Entertainment – Steven Spielberg’s production company – snapped up the rights before it was even on shelves.

It’s now reported that Chris Columbus, of Mrs Doubtfire and Harry Potter fame, is to write and direct the adaptation for Amblin. According to Deadline, the film has already attracted an impressive cast, with Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren (pictured) and Ben Kingsley announced so far.

The Thursday Murder Club follows the well-to-do residents of a retirement home,...

Back in 2020, it was announced that Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again director Ol Parker would be following that film up by taking the helm of The Thursday Murder Club, an adaptation of the debut novel by Richard Osman (creator and co-presenter of the BBC quiz show Pointless), for Amblin. Given that Parker’s involvement was announced just days before the pandemic lockdowns, it’s not surprising to hear that iteration of the project didn’t hold together… but The Thursday Murder Club is still moving forward. Home Alone and Harry Potter director Chris Columbus is now attached to direct the film, and Variety reports that Pierce Brosnan (GoldenEye), Helen Mirren (The Queen), and Ben Kingsley (Iron Man 3) are being eyed for three of the four the lead roles!

The Thursday Murder Club will tell the story of four septuagenarian friends who live in a retirement community and solve cold cases for fun.