Richard Osman has suggested he harbours reservations about the Netflix adaptation of his bestselling novel The Thursday Murder Club, admitting: “I can’t really talk about the film very much.”
The 55-year-old author appeared keen to move past the subject, adding: “Let’s not let it detain us.”
However, in the interview with The Times, Mr Osman went on to make a revealing admission about his plans for the remaining books in the series. “It was only one book. The other books I would like to adapt myself,” he said.
The comments hint strongly that the former Pointless presenter was less than satisfied with how his cosy mystery novel was brought to the screen, and that he intends to take a far more hands-on role with any future adaptations.
Richard Osman made a revealing admission about his plans for the remaining books in the series
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BBCThe film, which landed on Netflix and in select cinemas last year, was helmed by Harry Potter and Home Alone director Chris Columbus, with a glittering ensemble cast featuring Dame Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Sir Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie as the quartet of retirement home residents who spend their Thursdays investigating unsolved crimes.
The screenplay was penned by comedian Katy Brand alongside Killing Eve writer Suzanne Heathcote, though the adaptation drew criticism for straying considerably from Mr Osman’s source material.
Most controversially, the film altered the storyline of the beloved Polish handyman Bogdan, portrayed by Henry Lloyd-Hughes, while excising several other fan-favourite characters entirely.
Critics were largely underwhelmed, with The Telegraph’s Robbie Collin describing the result as “so thin and perfunctory” despite the books’ enormous popularity.
The film adaptation drew criticism for straying considerably from Richard Osman’s source material
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The adaptation initially drew strong viewing figures, with Netflix reporting 24.7 million views in its opening four days, though it failed to claim the top spot on the platform’s global most-watched chart and slipped to fifth place within a week.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 77 per cent critics’ score, while audiences on Letterboxd have rated it just three stars.
Despite his apparent misgivings about the finished product, Mr Osman was complimentary about the experience of working alongside the talent involved.
He described it as “a lot of fun meeting Spielberg, Helen, Pierce and everyone else. Really cool.”
The adaptation of Richard Osman’s book initially drew strong viewing figures
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A sequel has yet to be officially greenlit, though both Mr Columbus and Dame Helen have previously expressed enthusiasm about returning, with the Oscar winner saying she would agree “in a nanosecond.”
Mr Osman’s publishing career has been remarkably prolific since the first Thursday Murder Club novel appeared in 2020.
Penguin reported that nearly 700,000 copies were shifted in the UK within just four months of release.
The series has since expanded to five instalments, the latest being The Impossible Fortune, which arrived in September 2025.
Richard Osman hinted at his thoughts on the Netflix adaptation of his book
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Across all his works, Mr Osman has shifted more than 17 million copies globally, placing him as Britain’s second most popular author behind only Julia Donaldson.
Beyond the Thursday Murder Club universe, he launched a fresh series with We Solve Murders, which debuted last year. Its follow-up, We Chase Shadows, is due out next month.
The author also recently departed the BBC’s House of Games.