Thursday Murder Club on Netflix: Movie or Series

Few things delight readers quite like a cozy mystery, and when Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club landed on bookstore shelves, it became a phenomenon. Now Netflix is bringing those retirement home sleuths to the screen in a feature film arriving August 28, 2025.

Release Year: 2025 · Based on: Novel by Richard Osman · Director: Chris Columbus · Production: Netflix · Cast Includes: Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie

Six key details, one pattern: The adaptation is a faithful, star-driven feature film that sticks closely to the source material while making smart adjustments for the screen.

Is The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix now?

Current Netflix availability

• The film is currently in post-production and is scheduled to stream on Netflix starting August 28, 2025 (Netflix (official streaming service)).
• Netflix has an official title page with a “Coming Soon” tag, but no exact timestamp has been announced yet (Rotten Tomatoes (review aggregator)).

Expected release date

• The film premieres globally on August 28, 2025, at 8 AM UK time (Digital Spy (UK entertainment news outlet)).
• This date is confirmed across multiple sources, including Netflix’s own Tudum page and third-party aggregators such as Metacritic (Metacritic (review aggregator)).

Is The Thursday Murder Club going to be a movie or a series?

Confirmed format: Feature film

• The Thursday Murder Club is produced as a single feature film, not a series (Netflix (official streaming service)).
• Netflix lists it under “Movies” on its platform, and its IMDb page classifies it as a movie (IMDb (user-contributed database)).

Why the confusion exists

• The source material is a series of four novels, which may lead some to expect a multi-season TV show (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)).
• Netflix has a history of adapting book series into both movies and series, so the distinction matters for fans (Digital Spy (UK entertainment news outlet)).

The implication: Viewers expecting a binge-able series should reset expectations — this is a single theatrical-style film, though sequels remain possible.

Is The Thursday Murder Club worth watching?

Critical reception and early buzz

• The film is based on a best-selling novel that has sold millions of copies worldwide, indicating a built-in audience (Netflix Tudum (official press arm)).
• The star-studded cast — Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie — has generated significant positive anticipation (Variety (entertainment trade publication)).
• Director Chris Columbus is known for family-friendly hits like Home Alone and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, adding credibility to the project (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)).

What makes it appealing to audiences

• The story blends humor, heart, and a classic whodunit — a combination that appeals to both cozy mystery fans and general audiences (Digital Spy (UK entertainment news outlet)).
• Early previews from Netflix Tudum describe it as a “warm, funny, and surprising” film (Netflix Tudum (official press arm)).

The catch: Without a review embargo or early screenings reported, viewers should temper expectations until the film actually drops.

Are there sequels to The Thursday Murder Club?

Plans for a second movie

• No official announcement has been made about a second movie (Netflix Tudum (official press arm)).
• Given the book series has four entries, a sequel is possible but remains unconfirmed (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)).

Possibility of a TV series adaptation

• Netflix has not indicated any plans to expand the story into a series (Digital Spy (UK entertainment news outlet)).
• The film’s success at drawing subscribers will likely determine whether additional films or a series get greenlit (Variety (entertainment trade publication)).

Why this matters: For fans of the book series, the film’s performance could be the deciding factor in whether they get to see the rest of the story on screen.

Is The Thursday Murder Club based on a book?

The original novel series by Richard Osman

• The film is based on the first novel in the Thursday Murder Club series, written by Richard Osman (Netflix Tudum (official press arm)).
• The book series includes four novels as of 2025, each following the same retirement-home sleuths (Wikipedia (community encyclopedia)).

How the film adapts the first book

• Key characters and plot points are retained, including the four main protagonists (Digital Spy (UK entertainment news outlet)).
• Minor changes are expected to streamline the story for a single-film runtime, but the core mystery remains intact (Netflix Tudum (official press arm)).

The trade-off: Purists may notice small differences, but the filmmakers have promised a faithful adaptation that captures the spirit of the book.

For fans of the books, the film offers a chance to see beloved characters come to life; for newcomers, it’s a charming entry point into a cozy mystery world. The real question is whether Netflix will give the green light for sequels, given the book series has four volumes. For the streaming giant, the choice is clear: a hit on August 28 could open the door to a lucrative franchise, or a miss could leave the Thursday Murder Club as a one-off.