Richard Osman has become a beloved figure in British pop culture. After years on TV, he's made a hugely successful leap into fiction with his hit “Thursday Murder Club” book series, which follows a group of elderly friends in a retirement home who solve both cold and current murder cases.
Now, the first book has been adapted into a star-studded Netflix movie, bringing these fan-favorite characters to the screen for the first time.
Netflix just dropped the first trailer for “The Thursday Murder Club,” and it already looks like a hilariously fun watch. I’ll never say no to a good mystery flick, especially one starring Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren.
This movie’s been on my radar ever since Netflix released some first-look images last month, earning it a spot on my must-watch summer list. Based on Osman’s 2020 debut novel, the story follows four retirees in a quiet English village whose true-crime club turns serious when they find themselves investigating an actual murder.
The upcoming Netflix movie, helmed by director Chris Columbus and backed by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, will debut on the platform on August 28, 2025.
The trailer gives us our first look at Helen Mirren as Elizabeth, Pierce Brosnan as Ron and Ben Kingsley as Ibrahim, as they cross paths with Celia Imrie’s character, Joyce, during their pursuit of a decades-old mystery from 1973.
We also see Joyce getting a bit too enthusiastic when a real, modern-day murder suddenly shakes things up. The preview offers quick peeks at characters played by Naomi Ackie and Ingrid Oliver as well.
It’s easy to draw comparisons to other popular murder mysteries. “Only Murders in the Building” immediately comes to mind, though this one doesn’t have the younger-gen appeal. You can also spot some clear influences from Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” movies in the mix, with a similar blend of mystery and playful comedy. I'm already on board.
‘The Thursday Murder Club’ on Netflix — what we know right now
Along with the first trailer, we also have an official synopsis thanks to Netflix: “Based on Richard Osman’s international bestselling novel of the same name, The Thursday Murder Club follows four irrepressible retirees — Elizabeth (Helen Mirren), Ron (Pierce Brosnan), Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley) and Joyce (Celia Imrie) — who spend their time solving cold case murders for fun.
“When an unexplained death occurs on their own doorstep, their casual sleuthing takes a thrilling turn as they find themselves with a real whodunit on their hands.”
Columbus told Netflix: “This is the finest cast I've worked with since Potter. They’re just so incredibly well-prepared, and it’s because they do everything. They do theater, they do television, they do film, and they’ve developed those sorts of muscles.”
The full cast includes Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Tom Ellis, Jonathan Pryce, David Tennant, Paul Freeman, Geoff Bell, Ingrid Oliver, and Richard E. Grant. It’s likely that some of these actors will show up as small (but incredibly fun) cameos.
Osman has expanded “The Thursday Murder Club” into a full book series, with four follow-up novels — the latest, The Impossible Fortune, is set to release this September. So if the Netflix adaptation is a hit, it could easily pave the way for a full-fledged movie franchise.
When speaking with Netflix about the story, Columbus said: “There’s a wonderful mystery at its core, so mystery fans will be very happy. But thematically it’s interesting that we’ve got four elderly people who are living in a retirement community and who are fascinated by death and murder. They are facing their own demise, yet at the same time they are obsessed with studying cold cases. I fell in love thematically with that. It’s comedic, but it’s also very emotional.”
These words alone already have me intrigued. I love a good whodunit, and knowing it’s based on a book people rave about makes me even more curious to see how it plays out on screen. Plus, Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren? Say no more.
Stream "The Thursday Murder Club" on Netflix starting August 28.
More from Tom's Guide
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
