Richard Osman makes revelation about Thursday Murder Club cameo idea

The film adaptation of Richard Osman's novel, The Thursday Murder Club, is set to premiere on Netflix on August 28.

Themovie, which has already released a trailer, features an impressive cast including Helen Mirren, Celia Imrie, Pierce Brosnan and Ben Kingsley as the four amateur detectives investigating a murder.

Ingrid Oliver, Osman's wife, also stars in the film as Joyce's (Imrie) daughter Joanna and In an interview with Radio Times, the author dispelled rumours of his own cameo appearance in the film, joking: "I thought everyone would go, 'Why is Richard in the back of a police station in Kent?'"

Osman expressed satisfaction with the adaptation of his book, appreciating the differences between the film and his original vision. He said: "There was never a moment during filming when I thought, 'This is different to what's in my head.' Because if it wasn't different it would be the worst thing ever made."

He further explained: "What's in my head is nine hours where every single line of dialogue and every single internal monologue is there. The world's most boring film."

In a separate conversation on his podcast, The Rest Is Entertainment, Osman revealed that his wife's role in the film was not his idea but that of writer/director Chris Columbus.

Oliver, a British actress and comedian known for her part in the comic double act Watson and Oliver, married the former Pointless host in December 2022. The couple first met when she appeared as a contestant on the TV celebrity quiz show Richard Osman's House of Games.

The Thursday Murder Club director Chris Columbus was eager for screenwriter Katy Brand to spearhead the adaptation of Osman's novel.

Explaining what made her the ideal candidate, he said: "Katy is one of the sharpest, most perceptive people I've ever met.

"When we first discussed her adaptation of the book, she was adamant that the film preserved the underlying British satire and humor of the novel.

"She also displayed a surgical precision in her storytelling, simplifying the dense plot of the novel, while still being extraordinarily faithful to the story and characters."

The Thursday Murder Club airs on Netflix on August 28