The Thursday Murder Club director Chris Columbus shares his thoughts about the prospect of making a sequel. Based on the 2020 novel of the same name by Richard Osman, the new Netflix movie follows four retirees who gather to solve cold cases to pᴀss the time. When one case turns H๏τ, the group find themselves involved in an active murder investigation.
The Thursday Murder Club cast features an impressive roster of actors, including Pierce Brosnan as Ron, Helen Mirren as Elizabeth, Ben Kingsley as Ibrahim, and Celia Imrie as Joyce, and Naomie Ackie as Donna. The film quickly rose in viewership following its August 28 release, leading to questions about a possible sequel.
During a recent interview with Decider, Columbus weighs in on whether a Thursday Murder Club 2 is on the horizon. Though the director makes clear that nothing has been confirmed just yet, he would happily return to direct a follow-up murder mystery in the franchise. Check out his comment below:
It was such a joy making this film that if audiences embraced the movie and it’s successful enough, I would definitely love to do it. I don’t see it as a sequel, as much as the continuation of the story of these characters, and see where they’re going to go.
What This Means For The Thursday Murder Club Franchise
After the first novel became a hit, Osman has been hard at work expanding the series with additional installments. There are currently four books in the Thursday Murder Club series, and a fifth, The Impossible Fortune, arrives later this month.
Should Netflix want to move forward with a sequel, then, there is clearly no shortage of material to pull from. What it will come down to, ultimately, is audience demand, and strong, sustained viewership will be crucial to a follow-up after the Thursday Murder Club ending. As Columbus told The Mirror about a sequel:
“It depends how many people see this film.”
Sporting a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, The Thursday Murder Club reviews were generally positive from critics and the film remains a top performer on Netflix’s top 10 charts. If this performance continues, there’s no reason to believe a sequel won’t happen, especially since Mirren told Radio Times that she would be happy to return:
“It would be the team getting back together, which would be great. We did have a wonderful time shooting this. So all of us would jump at the chance, quite honestly.”
Worth noting, however, is that the film only has a 54% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating that general audiences are less charmed by the Netflix film than critics. This could be a sign that viewership will drop off sooner, and this could hurt sequel chances. Ultimately, it’s too early to say.
Our Take On A Potential Thursday Murder Club 2
Even though there are elements worth criticizing in The Thursday Murder Club, the cast alone makes it a film worth watching. The tone and charm of the endeavor makes it easy viewing, even if it isn’t the most thrilling or surprising murder mystery out there.
It would be interesting to see these legendary actors ᴀssembled for another adventure, especially since later books in Osman’s series dig deeper into the four lead characters. Whether another Thursday Murder Club movie happens will come down to numbers, but it’s a promising sign that Columbus is already keen on returning.
