Will There Be a ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ Movie?

Nobody could have predicted the massive success that is The Thursday Murder Club, penned by British TV presenter and author Richard Osman. So far, the series has spawned four books, all of which follow four firm but unlikely friends—Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron—as they solve various compelling and complex murders.

The twist? Our four beloved heroes, the intrepid members of the titular Thursday Murder Club, are all in their seventies—but as clever and cunning as ever.

All four of Osman’s Thursday Murder Club books have hit the bestseller lists in both the U.K. and the U.S., and with the crime drama genre as popular as ever, it’s no wonder fans are asking themselves whether or not the gang will be making their way to the big screen.

So what do we know so far?

Will The Thursday Murder Club be made into a movie?

Yes—Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron will all be making their big screen debuts soon. Amblin Entertainment saw the potential of Osman’s novels early on, purchasing the rights to adapt the first novel in the series, The Thursday Murder Club, in March 2020, seven months before it was officially published. Since that first announcement, however, development on the project has been delayed due to both the Covid-19 pandemic, which hit hard in the first few months of 2020, as well as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in Hollywood, which took place in the second half of 2023.

Don’t worry, though, the movie is still on its way—Osman himself has confirmed that filming is due to begin in 2024. However, since there is no specified date, it’s hard to predict when the movie might be released. Casting, similarly, has yet to be confirmed, though we suspect we’ll be given an update on this front sooner rather than later if filming is to begin in the new year.

Elizabeth is a former spy, Ron used to be a union activist, Joyce was once a talented nurse, and Ibrahim used to be a psychiatrist. They’ve got all the makings of a cracking team of detectives, and the cast will need to have great chemistry with one another to capture that same magic from the books. Names that have been bandied about include Judi Dench, Hellen Mirren, and Bill Nighy, all three of which seem undeniably plausible if perhaps a smidge predictable.

We’d expect the movie to follow the plot of the first novel, which saw Osman’s four pensioners take on their very first real-life murder case after a property developer is found dead in their quaint retirement village in Kent. The story perfectly sets up the core characters and, if the movie is successful enough, can easily pave the way for future movie installments, too.

If you love a good cozy murder mystery, definitely keep an eye out for more information on The Thursday Murder Club movie.

(featured image: Penguin)