Richard Osman’s wife Ingrid Oliver, cut a glamorous figure as she joined her husband at star-studded The Thursday Murder Club premiere in London’s Leicester Square on Thursday.
The actress, 48, looked nothing short of sensational in a red halterneck dress as she posed up a storm for the cameras alongside her husband, 54, whose best-selling novel the movie is based on.
The glamorous floor-length gown boasted a flattering halterneck neckline and a figure-hugging silhouette and ensured all eyes were on her as she led the celebrity arrivals.
Ingrid, who wed the star in 2022, added inches to her 5’7″ frame with white pointed heels and further accessorised with red bead embellished drop earrings and a chunky gold bangle.
Meanwhile, Richard, who stands at 6’7″ looked incredibly suave in a black blazer and tailored trousers, which he paired with a crisp white shirt and a burgundy tie.
Also on the red carpet was the films stars including Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan who lead the cast of ‘geriatric sleuths’ in the much-anticipated Netflix movie.
Richard Osman’s wife, Ingrid Oliver, cut a glamorous figure as she joined her husband at The Thursday Murder Club premiere in London’s Leicester Square on Thursday
The actress, 48, looked nothing short of sensational in a red halterneck dress as she posed up a storm for the cameras alongside her husband, 54
The glamorous floor-length gown boasted a flattering halterneck neckline and a figure-hugging silhouette and ensured all eyes were on her as she led the celebrity arrivals
Oscar winner Helen, 80, looked incredible as she stepped out in an eye-catching, navy, floral Alice + Olivia gown.
She layered an elegant, cropped, white dress jacket over her layered gown as she walked the red carpet for her upcoming release which she stars as Elizabeth Best.
Meanwhile, Pierce Brosnan, 72, who stars as Ron in the upcoming flick, looked handsome as ever as he arrived at the star-studded event in a brown double-breasted suit.
He layered his tailored two-piece with a crisp, matching shirt and a matching tie and a pair of sophisticated leather dress shoes.
Celia Imrie, 73, who stars as Joyce, put on an eye-catching display as she stepped out in a bright pink, square-neck gown.
She cut an elegant display as she paired her dress with a diamond necklace and posed graciously for the cameras.
Fellow cast member Sir Ben Kingsley, 81, who plays Ibraham, looked sophisticated as he stepped out in a navy, two-piece suit.
The Thursday Murder Club centers on a witty group of retirees who spend their days in a peaceful retirement community—bonding over their shared hobby of solving cold cases.
Also on the red carpet was the films stars including Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan who lead the cast of ‘geriatric sleuths’ in the much-anticipated Netflix movie
Oscar winner Helen, 80, looked incredible as she stepped out in an eye-catching, navy, floral Alice + Olivia gown
She layered an elegant, cropped, white dress jacket over her layered gown as she walked the red carpet for her upcoming release which she stars as Elizabeth Best
Meanwhile, Pierce, 72, who stars as Ron in the upcoming flick, looked handsome as ever as he arrived at the star-studded event in a brown double-breasted suit
Celia Imrie, 73, who stars as Joyce, put on an eye-catching display as she stepped out in a bright pink, square-neck gown
She added a little extra sparkle to the look with a diamond necklace
Fellow cast member Sir Ben Kingsley, 81, made a rare red carpet appearance with wife Daniela Lavender, 50
Daniela looked sensational in a silver sequinned gown which she teamed with a sparkly clutch
Oscar winner Sir Ben cut a dapper figure in a navy suit with crisp white shirt and purple tie
But their quiet pastime takes a thrilling turn when they stumble upon a fresh murder mystery that demands their attention.
Helen leads the cast as Elizabeth, a sharp ex-spy with a knack for uncovering secrets.
Pierce plays Ron, a former union activist with a passionate spirit, while Ben Kingsley portrays Ibrahim, an insightful ex-psychiatrist.
Celia Imrie rounds out the group as Joyce, a compassionate ex-nurse who balances the team.
It comes as the actress told how the four main stars of the film have bonded just like their characters in the novel, calling them ‘a team’.
Speaking to TV Times magazine, Celia explained: ‘It is the way we became a team that I love. And I was excited every day when I woke up and thought of coming to work with these fantastic actors. I couldn’t believe my luck.’
Meanwhile, Ben was in agreement, adding: ‘Working with this cast is like playing tennis with an equal partner. It elevates the game tremendously. The ball never drops or gets lost.’
Celia also told how she headed straight to the bookshop to buy herself a copy of the novel after landing the part of Joyce.
The Thursday Murder Club centers on a witty group of retirees who spend their days in a peaceful retirement community—bonding over their shared hobby of solving cold cases
It comes after actress Celia told how the four main stars of the film have bonded just like their characters in the novel, calling them ‘a team’
Celia explained: ‘It is the way we became a team that I love. And I was excited every day when I woke up and thought of coming to work with these fantastic actors. I couldn’t believe my luck.’
Pictured left to right: Richard Osman, Dame Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Celia Imrie, Sir Ben Kingsley and Chris Columbus
The author behind the famed series, Richard, appeared elated at the premier as he posed alongside the film’s director Chris
Naomi Ackie, who portrays the character Donna De Freitas, looked chic in a black satin gown with racy thigh-high split
Tom Ellis looked effortlessly stylish in a double-breasted tan suit
He was joined on the red carpet by daughters Florence and Nora
Richard E. Grant, who stars as Bobby Tanner in the flick, wore a two piece white suit to event which he layered over a red waistcoat
Actor Daniel Mays shielded his eyes behind dark shades
Actress Katy Brand who penned the script wore a black summer dress and chunky sandals
Fellow cast member Geoff Bell, who stars as Tony Curran added a pop of colour to the premier as he stepped out in a yellow scarf to match his yellow daffodil brooch
Speaking more in dept about her character, who is a newcomer to the retirement village, Celia said: ‘Joyce has an innocence – she’s a bit unsure of herself, but fun, enthusiastic and a good sport. She wants to be included and is keen to make new friends.’
She added that the book was a ‘lovely reference’, allowing her to delve deeper into her character.
Helen was also a fan of the book, noting she was one of millions who read it and ‘couldn’t put it down’.
The star noted that she hoped viewers of the movie will be ‘entertained and moved’.
Osman wrote the book in secret over 18 months, sparking a fierce 10-way bidding war before Penguin Random House secured the rights for a seven-figure deal in 2019.
Upon its 2020 release, The Thursday Murder Club became the only novel that year to sell over one million copies, ranking as the third best-selling hardback behind Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol and JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
The success led to three sequels: The Man Who Died Twice (2021), The Bullet That Missed (2022), and The Last Devil to Die (2023). A fifth installment is already planned for publication next year.
The Thursday Murder Club review: Thank goodness Hollywood hasn’t messed it up! This cosy crime caper will make you want to move to a retirement home and hang out with the characters – Says Daily Mails Larushka Ivan-zadeh
Thank heavens this movie adaptation is great, or there might have been a (well-behaved) riot.
Ever since Richard Osman’s novel about genteel retirees solving murders was first published in 2020, it has been embraced with a warmth and enthusiasm normally reserved for the likes of Bake Off. And not just over here.
In America, it shot straight to no. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list, sparking a craze for ‘Cosy Crime’ and prompting Steven Spielberg and his nose for ‘event’ books (Jurassic Park, War Horse) to snap up the film rights.
The Thursday Murder Club has since sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, and spawned another three books. A fifth – The Impossible Murder – is due out on September 23.
And now we get the film of the bestseller.
For those worried that The Thursday Murder Club might be going to get some sort of ghastly Hollywood makeover, let me put your mind at ease. They haven’t messed it up
For those worried that this quintessentially English charmer might be going to get some sort of ghastly Hollywood makeover, let me put your mind at ease. They haven’t messed it up.
Gins in tins, Victoria sponges, dry humour and insults like ‘you plonker’ remain intact.
For those who’ve not yet joined the Club, the setting is a fantasy retirement village in Kent. Picture the Downton Abbey of care homes: palatial apartments, a posh ‘contemporary upscale’ restaurant and llamas frolicking on the manicured lawns.
Here, every Thursday, a gang of four friends meet in the jigsaw room to solve cold cases.
There is the bossy leader Elizabeth (Dame Helen Mirren), who has a glamorous past as a spy that she doesn’t like to talk about (but always mentions); a vain and meticulous psychiatrist called Ibrahim (an impeccable Sir Ben Kingsley); a handsome, firebrand ex-union leader called Ron (Pierce Brosnan) and new recruit Joyce (Celia Imrie), a mousy former nurse whose secret weapon is a devilishly delicious lemon drizzle cake.
Events heat up a notch when the oldsters find themselves with a real live murder case on their hands. And they are determined to stay one step ahead of the local police chief (Daniel Mays) by enlisting the inside help of an eager young constable (Naomi Ackie).
The whodunnit plot is actually pretty gripping — tickling the little grey cells without over-taxing them.
However, the real appeal of The Thursday Murder Club lies in its memorably drawn characters, who are witty, resourceful, flawed — and proof that life can begin again at 70.
This amiable, undemanding and knowing (yet never too knowing) caper is like Miss Marple meets Only Murders In The Building
You can’t imagine anyone else but Mirren in the part of Elizabeth, described in the book as ‘the sort of teacher who terrifies you all year then gets you a grade A and cries when you leave’
Whether the Thursday Murder Club franchise will achieve Potter-like success on screen remains to be seen. But the all-star whodunnit is certainly back in business
You love this world, because you want to hang out with them. As such, the movie lives and dies upon its casting. And this cast is of glittering calibre.
You simply can’t imagine anyone else but Mirren in the part of Elizabeth, described in the book as ‘the sort of teacher who terrifies you all year then gets you a grade A and cries when you leave’.
Indeed, for years, fans regularly shouted out the Prime Suspect star’s name to Osman in the street, as the one to play her.
Elsewhere, Imrie and Kingsley fit into their roles snugly as couture black leather gloves.
Jonathan Pryce provides a poignant note (never overplayed) as Elizabeth’s husband Stephen, a brilliant academic who is dealing with dementia.
And David Tennant channels something of his recent turn in Jilly Cooper’s Rivals as slippery and ruthless property developer Ian Ventham.
The one massive eyebrow raiser here is suave, California-tanned Pierce Brosnan as ‘Red Ron’: an angry, West Ham-tattooed, ex-picket line militant.
The wish to see 007 in a care home is a choice obviously dictated by global box office appeal.
Luckily, it’s a stonking piece of miscasting so laughable it’s actually enjoyable. Brosnan’s bizarre, have-a-go attempts at what, you assume, is a Cockney accent even proves endearing — a bit like his atrocious singing in Mamma Mia!
Richard Osman’s declarations that he had ‘nothing to do with’ the adaptation needn’t alarm.
Co-written by Katy Brand and Suzanne Heathcote, the script is extremely faithful to the book — main difference being that Joyce no longer narrates the story.
Hollywood director Chris Columbus, who previously brought the first Harry Potter book to big screen, proves a safe pair of hands.
Whether the Thursday Murder Club franchise will achieve Potter-like success on screen remains to be seen. But the all-star whodunnit is certainly back in business.
This amiable, undemanding and knowing (yet never too knowing) caper is like Miss Marple meets Only Murders In The Building; or a knitting circle version of Knives Out. Celebrating friendship, resilience, and the humour of aging, with just the right dash of emotion, this is feel-good murder at its finest.
You don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to deduce that there will be a sequel.
The Thursday Murder Club is in cinemas from today.
