Netflix has come on board “The Thursday Murder Club,” Amblin’s upcoming adaptation of the bestselling novel starring Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan and Ben Kingsley. Chris Columbus is writing and directing the story of a group of friends who solve murders.
The 2020 book by Richard Osman tells the story of four friends who live in a retirement community and take on cold cases for fun. When a shady property developer is found dead, the four find themselves in the middle of their first live crime. Mirren will play ex-spy Elizabeth, Kingsley will play ex-psychiatrist Ibrahim and Brosnan will play former union activist Ron.
Netflix and Amblin’s film partnership also includes the upcoming Jason Bateman-Taron Egerton film “Carry-On.”
Osman, a popular British quiz show presenter, said in a statement, “I’m so proud of this book, so it is a dream to see ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ in such incredible hands. From Chris Columbus, to Amblin to Netflix, there are geniuses everywhere I look. And what a cast. I’m pinching myself.”
Amblin Partners acquired worldwide rights to the the film after a competitive auction that attracted interest from 14 studios. Publishing rights for “Thursday Murder Club” garnered the biggest debut novel deal in the past decade. Osman followed up the first book with four more bestsellers: 2021’s “The Man Who Died Twice,” 2022’s “The Bullet That Missed,” 2023’s “The Last Devil to Die,” and a planned fifth book set to release in 2025.
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Jennifer Todd is producing, with Holly Bario, Jeb Brody and Eleanor Columbus serving as executive producers.
Deadline was the first to report Netflix’s involvement.
