Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club sees Harry Potter star in huge role

Netflix has gone all out for the film adaptation of Richard Osman’s bestselling novel, The Thursday Murder Club – packed with a killer cast and a well-known director behind the camera.

Set in the picturesque Coopers Chase retirement village in Kent, the story follows four sharp-minded pensioners who meet weekly to pore over unsolved crimes. But when a real-life murder falls into their laps, they swap coffees and chit chat for sleuthing.

Behind the camera is Chris Columbus, the director behind the first two Harry Potter films,Mrs Doubtfire and Home Alone. His time on the Potter franchise gave him a deep affection for Britain and its quirky humour.

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“During Potter, I spent five years living in the UK,” he says. “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.”

Finding a writer to adapt Richard Osman’s work was tricky. “I was a fan of the books, but the initial scripts I read veered far from the novel,” Chris says. “I felt this was a mistake and I wanted to preserve what everyone loved about the book.”

Enter actress and comedian Katy Brand. Chris says, “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.”

Leading the charge in the line-up is Helen Mirren as Elizabeth Best. Throughout her career, Helen has played everything from steely assassins to Queen Elizabeth II. Now, she’s playing a woman with a past shrouded in secrecy.

“We can tell she was someone powerful and substantial, but it’s all a bit secret,” Helen says. “Was she a high level politician? Was she a high level operative in MI5 or MI6? She never quite talks about it, but we get a sense. She’s tough, she’s smart and she has witnessed some heavy duty things.”

Joining her is Pierce Brosnan, best known for donning James Bond’s tuxedos. He trades spying for laughs to play Ron Ritchie. “Ron is a stout fellow of good character,” Pierce says. “He doesn’t particularly want to be at Coopers Chase, but there’s a time in life when you just have to hang up your spurs.”

Ron’s good friend Ibrahim Arif (Ben Kingsley) is a psychiatrist whose skills prove invaluable to the club’s investigations. “He’s clearly empathetic because he’s a psychiatrist and he needs to interpret patterns of human behaviour in order to heal,” Ben says.

“Now he can bring those same skills to a forensic quest to solve unsolved police cases through empathy, knowledge of patterns of human behaviour, compassion and imagination.”

Elizabeth strikes up a bond with newcomer Joyce Meadowcroft, a recently widowed woman who’s determined to fit in. Celia Imrie brings Joyce to life.

“Sir Laurence Olivier always said you’ve got to like the person you’re playing – and I really did,” says Celia. “Joyce has an innocence about her.

She’s unsure of herself but fun, enthusiastic and a good sport. At the beginning of the film she wants, very much, to be included and is especially keen to make new friends.”

The four pals cross paths with PC Donna De Freitas, played by Naomi Ackie, a police officer they help unofficially – to the irritation of her superior.

“It was a really big pull for me to work with these juggernauts of British screen, who I’ve looked up to for a long time,” says Naomi. “Having them consolidated into one project was really great. They are so gracious with their talent and it’s been a real joy getting to know them.”

The drama isn’t confined to the murder mystery. David Tennant joins the mix as Ian Ventham, co-owner of Coopers Chase, whose redevelopment plans could force residents out.

“He’s not the most sympathetic character,” David says. “He’s just someone who’s got himself in a very particular situation and doesn’t have the people skills to get through life with as much charm as one might hope he should have.”

The love for the novels also runs deeply within the cast. “I was one of the many millions who read the book and loved it,” says Helen. “I was utterly charmed by it. My friends who read the book said, ‘If they ever make a movie, you have to play Elizabeth.’”

For Pierce, the project was a chance to collaborate with Chris again. “He’s s an old pal,” he says. “He seems to come around every 10 years or so with wonderful jobs for me. He sent me the script and I loved it.”

The Thursday Murder Club is released on Netflix on August 28th.

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