A ‘Bridget Jones’ Diary’ alum is joining the cast.
The Big Picture
- Celia Imrie joins star-studded cast of film adaptation of Richard Osman’s bestselling novel The Thursday Murder Club.
- Imrie confirmed to play Joyce Meadowcroft, completing lead character list for highly anticipated film.
- Filming set to begin in England this summer, alongside talent like Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, and Ben Kingsley.
The film adaptation of Richard Osman‘s bestselling mystery book The Thursday Murder Club, also his debut novel, has added the final lead to its star-studded cast list, and it’s none other than Bridget Jones‘ Celia Imrie. Osman confirmed the news on his The Rest Is Entertainment podcast with Marina Hyde, revealing that Imrie will play Joyce Meadowcroft, the only lead character left to announce.
“Joyce is Celia Imrie, which I’m very excited about. She’s so mischievous,” Osman said to Hyde, who believes the veteran movie star is the perfect fit possibly given her years of experience in film, television, and theater. Imrie is best known for her roles in the Bridget Jones film series, Calendar Girls, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, and most recently, the Netflix series The Diplomat, all of which have gained her positive recognition.
Osman also mentioned on the podcast, “That is all set up” regarding the cast list and, of course, fans can expect filming to begin “this summer from the end of June to September, all in England” as was previously announced by the novelist. Imrie will star alongside Helen Mirren (Yellowstone), Pierce Brosnan (Mamma Mia!) and Ben Kingsley (Gandhi), who were cast as lead stars last month. Mirren will play Elizabeth Best, Brosnan will act as Ron Ritchie, while Kingsley portrays Ibrahim Arif.
‘The Thursday Murder Club’ Made History As Osman’s Debut Novel
The Thursday Murder Club, published on 3 September 2020, is the first installment in Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series. It narrates the story of a group of pensioners, Elizabeth, Ron, Joyce, and Ibrahim at the luxurious Coopers Chase Retirement Village in Kent as they go about investigating the murder of a property developer.
The successful novel was a quick seller immediately following its release and is dubbed the fastest-selling adult crime debut in recorded history. It sold 45,000 copies in the first three days of release and the accompanying books in the series: 2021’s The Man Who Died Twice, 2022’s The Bullet That Missed and 2023’s The Last Devil to Die, have collectively sold over 10 million copies worldwide. A fifth book is also scheduled for release in 2025.
As for the film adaptation, another big name set to join the project is Chris Columbus as director. Columbus is known for his work on the first two Harry Potter films, Home Alone and Mrs. Doubtfire. Furthermore, reports reveal that The Thursday Murder Club will be released on Netflix but without a precise date. Stay tuned to Collider for more information.
This article was originally published on collider.com