Today sees the release of Netflix‘s newest hit crime film, The Thursday Murder Club, and if director Chris Columbus has his way, it’s not just going to be a one-and-done movie. Featuring a stacked cast that includes Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie, the new flick is based on the 2020 novel by Richard Osman, and considering there are still four more books in the series, this could just be the start of a beautiful franchise.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly to promote the release of The Thursday Murder Club, Columbus – whose name you may recognize from the Harry Potter franchise – noted that this was his first time since his wizarding world days that he was able to get every actor he had in mind for the role. When it comes to a sequel, however, the director noted that it all depends on the reception to the new movie:
“If the audience falls in love with these characters, I would prefer to do nothing else over the next three or four years than to make one or two more of these films.”
“Honestly, since [Harry] Potter, this was the best experience in my filmmaking life,” he continued, adding: “I just love working with these four actors. I would come back in a heartbeat for the second and the third films.” That spells good news for fans who are already invested in The Thursday Murder Club‘s band of elderly amateur sleuths who spend their time solving cold-case murders for fun. Like Only Murders in the Building before it, Netflix’s latest is a fun and quirky comedy that’s as cozy as it is hilarious, with its aging stars not afraid to poke fun at their senior status. We only wish it was a series instead of a two-hour movie, but we’ll take what we can get.
‘The Thursday Murder Club’ Is Earning High Marks from Critics
In addition to Columbus saying he’s interested in returning to direct more movies in The Thursday Murder Club series, the film’s stars are also all on board to reprise their respective roles. In that same interview, Kingsley, Brosnan, and Imrie all expressed their excitement over getting the band back together, with Mirren adding:
“We would all love to do another one. We had such a good time together. We created a real ensemble. We took great joy in each other’s performances and each other’s personalities. So, we would love to do a reunion.”
Thus far, The Thursday Murder Club has been well-received by critics, earning a fresh rating of 73% on Rotten Tomatoes. Jonathan Wilson from Ready Steady Cut called it “an effective and satisfying little murder-mystery with just the right amount of self-awareness,” while Jack Martin from Film Feeder commented that it’s “a likable murder-mystery for the older crowd that offers characters and environments which are fun and respectful enough without being condescending.” Critic Alex Maidy was another who had high praise for the film, writing:
“With a story every bit as enjoyable as an Agatha Christie yarn with a cast stacked from top to bottom, The Thursday Murder Club is a delightful winner for Netflix and a welcome return to form for director Chris Columbus.”
While the status of a sequel to The Thursday Murder Club remains up in the air for now, you can do your part to add to its success by streaming the new cozy mystery this weekend on Netflix. We’ll have more news on future films should it develop, and look for the fifth book in Osman’s series, The Impossible Fortune, to hit shelves on Sept. 25, 2025.
The Thursday Murder Club
- Release Date
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August 28, 2025
- Runtime
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118 minutes
- Director
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Chris Columbus
- Writers
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Katy Brand, Suzanne Heathcote
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
