Richard Osman Discusses Netflix’s The Thursday Murder Club Adaptation Setback
POLICY WIRE — London, UK — Richard Osman, the acclaimed author of The Thursday Murder Club series, has spoken out about the underwhelming reception of Netflix’s film adaptation. Despite a...
POLICY WIRE — London, UK — Richard Osman, the acclaimed author of The Thursday Murder Club series, has spoken out about the underwhelming reception of Netflix’s film adaptation. Despite a star-studded cast, the movie did not meet expectations.
Osman, known for his bestselling novels, expressed his reticence to discuss the film in detail, stating, I cannot really talk about it very much. He urged not to dwell on the matter, as reported by The Times.
When further questioned, the 55-year-old author revealed his interest in adapting the remaining books in the series himself, saying, “It was only one book. The other books I would like to adapt myself.”
Directed by Harry Potter’s Chris Columbus and featuring a quartet of retirees played by Dame Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie, the film was released last year on Netflix and in select theaters.
The screenplay, penned by comedian Katy Brand and screenwriter Suzanne Heathcote, known for her work on Killing Eve and Fear The Walking Dead, took significant liberties with the original story, leading to mixed reviews.
Critics, including The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey, were not impressed, with Loughrey giving the film a mere two stars and describing it as so flimsy you’ll lose nothing from watching it on an iPad while cooking dinner.
Initially, The Thursday Murder Club performed well on Netflix, garnering 24.7 million views in its first four days. However, it quickly dropped in the rankings, failing to secure a top spot on the global most-watched chart.
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Despite the film’s lukewarm reception, Osman shared his positive experience working on the project, highlighting the enjoyable interactions with producer Steven Spielberg and the cast.
Although some cast members have expressed interest in a sequel, no confirmation has been made regarding future films. The first book in the series was published in 2020 and sold nearly 700,000 copies in the UK within four months.
Osman has since sold over 17 million books worldwide, making him the UK’s second most popular author, just behind Julia Donaldson. He has also launched a new series, We Solve Murders, with the next installment, We Chase Shadows, set to release next month.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
