Murder, Mayhem, and Mirren: Netflix Sets Date for Star-Studded ‘Thursday Murder Club’

A proper English mystery is coming to Netflix this summer — and it’s packed with royalty. Oscar winners Helen Mirren, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie, along with James Bond himself, Pierce Brosnan, will lead the long-awaited film adaptation of Richard Osman’s bestselling novel The Thursday Murder Club, arriving on August 28.

Set in a seemingly quiet retirement community in the English countryside, The Thursday Murder Club follows four sharp-witted pensioners who spend their golden years solving unsolved crimes — until one murder gets a little too close to home. When a mysterious death happens right on their doorstep, their hobby suddenly turns deadly real. What starts as a bit of sleuthing fun morphs into a full-blown whodunit with secrets that stretch far beyond their sleepy village.

Mirren stars as Elizabeth, a former spy who still has a few tricks up her sleeve. Brosnan plays Ron, an ex-union firebrand with a rebellious streak. Kingsley steps into the role of Ibrahim, a meticulous retired psychiatrist, while Imrie brings warmth and wit to the character of Joyce, a once-nurse turned accidental detective. Together, they make up the unlikely — and undeniably entertaining — murder-solving quartet.

Directed by Chris Columbus (Home Alone, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone), the film also features a murderers’ row of supporting talent, including Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Tom Ellis, Jonathan Pryce, David Tennant, Paul Freeman, Geoff Bell, Ingrid Oliver, and Richard E. Grant.

The screenplay was adapted by Katy Brand and Suzanne Heathcote. Columbus also produces alongside Jennifer Todd, under the banner of Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment. This is the latest in Netflix’s ongoing collaboration with Amblin, which also produced the 2024 thriller Carry On starring Jason Bateman and Taron Egerton.

The Thursday Murder Club became a runaway hit when it was first published in 2020. It’s the first in a series that includes The Man Who Died Twice, The Bullet That Missed, The Last Devil to Die, and the upcoming The Impossible Fortune. Osman’s fans have long called for a screen version, and now, with Netflix behind the wheel and one of the strongest casts of the year, they’re getting just that.

Expect tea, twists, and perhaps a few tears — and don’t be surprised if this charming crew of retirees ends up solving more than just a murder.