That’s a very exciting cast.
Pierce Brosnan has been cast to star in a movie adaptation of one of the most popular crime novel series in recent years.
The Irish actor will star alongside Helen Mirren and Ben Kingsley in the adaptation of The Thursday Murders Club.
The novels, written by Pointless co-host Richard Osman, have become a global phenomenon in the genre dubbed as ‘cosy crime’.
The first novel in the series released in 2020 to critical acclaim and, according to The Guardian, was the “fastest-selling adult crime debut in recorded history”.
Since there have since been three more novels published, which have sold over 10 million copies combined, with a fifth on the way in 2025.
The story follows a group of geriatric friends in a retirement home who gather to solve murders for fun, but find themselves caught in a real murder case involving a property developer.
Mirren will play ex-spy Elizabeth, Kingsley will play ex-psychiatrist Ibrahim and Brosnan will play former union activist Ron.
The fourth main character, a retired nurse called Joyce, has not yet been cast.
“Joyce, we’re still in negotiations but again the name is the one that people most shout at me in the street” Osman said. “Lots more casting to come in the following weeks.”
Pierce Brosnan to star in adaptation of hugely popular crime novel series
Harry Potter director Chris Columbus is set to write and direct the film, the rights of which were picked up by Steven Spielberg’s production house Amblin Entertainment in 2020.
It was reported that the legendary director’s production studio battled off 13 other studios to gain the rights to the books, such was their popularity.
Osman confirmed on his The Rest Is Entertainment podcast that filming will begin in the UK at the end of June and run through to September.
While Mirren and Kingsley have been seen as great additions to the cast for the book, some readers have questioned Brosnan’s casting, with many having another high-profile name in mind for the character.
“I honestly always envisioned Ray Winstone or Gary Oldman as Ron,” said one commenter. “But Pierce Brosnan is genuinely fun casting for him!
Mirren was always in my head for Elizabeth, and Ibrahim, Kingsley did enter my mind before.”
Another said, “As much as I know Pierce will do an amazing job, I think they’ve missed a trick by not hiring Ray Winstone.”
A third added, “Loving that Helen Mirren is Elizabeth and Ben Kingsley as Ibrahim but not convinced about Pierce Brosnan as Ron. Thought of Ron as more of a cockney wide boy type like a Del-boy type of character.”
The series of novels were Osman’s first to be published and the House of Games presenter is set to publish his second series, titled We Solve Murders, later this year.
We Solve Murder follows a father-in-law and daughter-in-law detective duo who set up a detective agency with the same title as the book.
It was also announced recently by Osman that Netflix had bought the rights to We Solve Murders in the hopes to develop a new series.
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