Pointless creator and novelist Richard Osman has given fans a glimpse behind the curtain regarding the anticipated Netflix adaptation of his Thursday Murder Club series. On his engaging podcast The Rest Is Entertainment, which he co-hosts with renowned journo Marina Hyde, Osman delved into the inevitable transformations books undergo when transitioning to film.
Whilst reminiscing on industry chats, the BBC quiz show host mused: “I’ve sat in so many meetings where people have said, ‘Of course, we will let you write the script.’ And I had to say, ‘I’m so sorry, I’m writing my next book.’ And also there are so many great scriptwriters out there, so it really depends on what sort of position you’re in.”
Delving deeper into his personal experience, he offered: “With The Thursday Murder Club, there are certain changes they would make that you would be consulted on.
“Certainly if you made it in America rather than England, that would be a thing,” he added, calling back to the early suggestions of Americanising Harry Potter, a notion J. K.Rowling vetoed in favour of a British setting.
Teasing developments concerning his forthcoming screen venture, Osman disclosed: “The plot, as I understand it, for The Thursday Murder Club movie is based on the first book but it’s not entirely the same, because you have to change things is the truth.”
He concluded with a touch of practicality: “And to have me looking over their shoulder telling them every five seconds that they couldn’t do this or they couldn’t do that I think would be hard.”
He then noted that renowned filmmaker Chris Columbus, best known for directing the first two Harry Potter films along with classics like Home Alone, The Goonies, and Gremlins, had previously spoken about how J. K. Rowling was quite involved in the adaptation process, reports Surrey Live.
“He’s happy doing it either way, but I think it’s more fun for a film maker to have a bit more creative control,” Osman reflected, clarifying that he was happy to surrender more creative control when it came to adapting his own book series.
The Thursday Murder Club follows a quirky group of retirees at a nursing home who meet to crack murder cases as a pastime, only to get caught up in a genuine mystery. The movie, inspired by Osman’s 2020 book of the same title, is currently under Netflix and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment production.
The cast is truly remarkable, boasting names such as Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Celia Imrie, David Tennant, Tom Ellis, and Richard E Grant.
Last year, Osman expressed his excitement about the adaptation, stating: “I’m so proud of this book, so it is a dream to see The Thursday Murder Club in such incredible hands. From Chris Columbus to Amblin to Netflix, there are geniuses everywhere I look. And what a cast. I’m pinching myself.”
While there is no official release date for The Thursday Murder Club, it was one of Netflix’s highlights during their Next On Netflix presentation for 2025.
The Rest Is Entertainment is available to listen to now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other streaming platforms.