By Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter
Richard Osman has confirmed the film cast for the adaptation of his hit book The Thursday Murder Club.
The bestseller features retirement residents attempting to investigate murders in their sleepy English village and was Osman’s debut novel when it was released in April 2021.
More have been released in the series, which features Elizabeth Best, an ex-spy, Joyce Meadowcroft, a former nurse, ex-psychiatrist Ibrahim Arif and former union activist Ron Ritchie.
Osman said that Ron would be played by Irish actor and James Bond film series star Pierce Brosnan while Elizabeth would be portrayed by Helen Mirren.
On the podcast The Rest Is Entertainment, which Osman presents with the journalist Marina Hyde, he said: “I’m now allowed to officially announce, three of the four members of The Thursday Murder Club.
“So anyway, Elizabeth is going to be paid by the person who people most often shout at me in the streets as they want to play Elizabeth so Elizabeth is going to be played by Helen Mirren. Very exciting.
“Joyce we’re still in negotiations, but again, the name is the one that people most shout at me on the street.
“Ibrahim is Sir Ben Kingsley, so you’ve got Helen Mirren, Sir Ben Kingsley.
“And then for Ron and Ron for people who haven’t read the book, [he] is a real sort of left-wing bruiser ex-union official.
“So Ron is going to be played by, I’m going to say the most handsome man in the world so he’s going to have to dull himself down a bit… Ron is going to be played by Pierce Brosnan.”
Osman added that filming takes place from the end of June through to September in England.
He also said that Home Alone and Harry Potter film series director Chris Columbus will be directing and is “working on the script at the moment.”
Osman’s latest installation in The Thursday Murder Club series was The Last Devil To Die, which was released in September 2023.
