When you have a book as successful as The Thursday Murder Club, the film adaptation demands a stellar cast. Richard Osman’s murder-mystery became an
When you have a book as successful as The Thursday Murder Club, the film adaptation demands a stellar cast. Richard Osman’s murder-mystery became an instant smash bestseller, since spawning several sequels on the page – and so its translation to the screen brings a considerable amount of pressure. Who to call on, then, to embody the four OAPs – Elizabeth, Ron, Ibrahim, and Joyce – who solve a murder at their Cooper’s Chase retirement village? Director Chris Columbus – with the might of producer Steven Spielberg behind him – pulled out the huge guns: Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie.
“It was the Mount Rushmore of the British Acting Giants,” the director tells Empire of his line-up. “I was intimidated, but once we started working on the script, the four of them together was just magical.” Columbus is no stranger to adapting beloved British literature, having brought Harry Potter to the screen with The Philosopher’s Stone and The Chamber Of Secrets. And while his cast in The Thursday Murder Club has many more years under their collective belt, the energy was equally vivid. “They were all really looking forward to working together in a really exciting, almost youthful way,” Columbus says of his quartet.
Since the cast are all British (and Irish) greats, they helped Columbus channel the quintessential Brit flavour of Osman’s work. “Pierce used this word for his character. I had no idea what it meant,” Columbus says. “And when I asked him, I was horrified. It was a word called ‘plonker’. When he explained it, I was stunned, but I lean into that greatly.” For the director, it was another to chance to work with Brosnan after an iconic collaboration several decades previously. “I was blown away by his comedic timing on Mrs. Doubtfire,” Columbus says. “He could hold his own with Robin Williams. I’ve always wanted to do another comedy with Pierce.” Laughs with a side of murder, anyone?
Read Empire’s full The Thursday Murder Club feature – going on set and speaking to Christopher Columbus, Richard Osman, Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie – in the Tron: Ares issue, on sale Thursday 3 July. Pre-order a copy online here. The Thursday Murder Club comes to Netflix on 28 August.
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