Posted in: Movies, Netflix | Tagged: chris columbus, netflix, The Thursday Murder Club

The Thursday Murder Club Filmmaker on Sequel Opportunities

Chris Columbus teases more The Thursday Murder Club if audiences embrace the Netflix whodunnit, saying he'd "continue the story."

Netflix's star-studded take on Richard Osman's bestseller The Thursday Murder Club has finally arrived, and so far, fans are mostly enjoying the cozy nature of this quirky whodunnit.

Directed by Chris Columbus, the film's story follows four retirees at the upscale Coopers Chase who typically spend their Thursdays cracking cold cases, until a real murder lands on their doorstep. And with celebrated industry names like Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie leading the ensemble, the adaptation takes every opportunity to lean into the book's warm humor and puzzle-box pleasures. In fact, its positive reception has even sparked some promising sequel chatter with fans of the book and newcomers.

Amid that momentum, Columbus is open to keeping the investigation going if viewers show up.

The Thursday Murder Club Director is Eager to Return for More

In a new interview with Decider, the director says the appeal isn't just solving another case; it's staying with these characters as their bonds deepen. Columbus explains, "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."

The film's plot centers on Mirren's Elizabeth (a retired spy), Brosnan's Ron (a firebrand ex–union leader), Kingsley's Ibrahim (a gentle former psychiatrist), and Imrie's Joyce (a nurse with a sharp pen) team with local police when a shady development turns deadly. The supporting cast is deep with familiar faces—Jonathan Pryce, David Tennant, Tom Ellis, Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Ingrid Oliver, Geoff Bell, and Richard E. Grant.

A follow-up wouldn't be short on source material either. Osman has already published multiple sequels, with the second book, The Man Who Died Twice, sending the club into fresh danger when Elizabeth's ex-husband resurfaces amid a diamond heist. Still, at this very moment, Netflix has yet to announce a sequel greenlight, but when the numbers are promising and the core creative team is open to returning, a sequel feels inevitable. Whether Columbus actually gets to continue the club's adventures will hinge on how many more viewers join the fray, but if they do, at least he's ready to keep the case files open.

The Thursday Murder Club is available to stream exclusively on Netflix.

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