Richard Osman reckons the cast of The Thursday Murder Club, based on his best-selling novel, is "insanely great".
The murder mystery is being turned into a film, which will be written and directed by Harry Potter producer, Chris Columbus, and follows a group of pals in a retirement home ,who solve cold cases for fun, but soon become caught up in a real murder.
Pointless star, Richard, 53, teased the casting news on X on Tuesday, writing: “Just been on a call with Amblin, and the cast for #TheThursdayMurderClub movie is insanely great, I think people are going to love it. Official announcements very soon, and can’t wait to share it with everyone.”
It's now been confirmed Hollywood stars Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan and Ben Kingsley have all signed up to the eagerly-awaited flick, which goes into production in June.
Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan and Ben Kingsley are set to star in the film adaptation of Richard Osman’s best-selling crime novel (Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/WireImage)
The record-breaking book is the fastest-selling adult crime debut in recorded historyDame Helen will play ex-spy Elizabeth in the film while Gandhi star Ben will take on ex-psychiatrist Ibrahim and 007 legend, Pierce, the former union activist, Ron. The fourth main character in The Thursday Murder Club - a retired nurse called Joyce - has not yet been confirmed. Teasing which actor will step into the coveted role, Richard said on his podcast, The Rest Is Entertainment: “Joyce, we’re still in negotiations but again the name is the one that people most shout at me in the street.” He then added: “Lots more casting to come in the following weeks.” The quiz show host, who is the brother of Suede guitarist, Mat Osman, also said the production will take place from “the end of June to September” in England.
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An adaptation of the novel was first confirmed in 2020 after Stephen Spielberg's Amblin Partners secured rights in a competitive auction. There has been a lot of speculation about who would make up the cast, with many readers of the Thursday Murder Club hedging their bets. When Helen, Pierce and Ben were finally revealed, one fan messaged Richard on X, saying: "On my cast list, Helen Mirren, Penelope Wilton, Judy Dench and Ray Winstone...so I got one!"
The record-breaking book is the fastest-selling adult crime debut in recorded history. Set in the fictional Kentish town of Fairhaven, the novel features four friends solving the murder of a property developer.
It was the subject of a 10-way bidding war before being sold to Penguin for a seven-figure sum in 2019. It sold 45,000 copies in its first three days of release in 2020 and has spawned four more novels – including 2021’s The Man Who Died Twice, 2022’s The Bullet That Missed and 2023’s The Last Devil to Die. A fifth book is planned for publication next year.
The movie rights were also hotly contested, with Amblin Partners beating off stiff competition from 13 other studios. Three years ago, Mamma Mia! director Ol Parker was attached to the film version, along with Meryl Streep and Viola Davis.
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