Remember Chris Columbus? He was the director critics loved to hate in the ’90s and early 2000s. Still, he helmed a string of wildly successful movies: “Home Alone,” “Home Alone 2,” “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” and “Stepmom.”
All this to say: Columbus is back. He’s directed “The Thursday Murder Club.” Helen Mirren, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Pierce Brosnan (who hasn’t aged) star in lead roles. The script comes from Ol Parker, who wrote both of the “Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” films.
Netflix has released a teaser.
Based on Richard Osman’s bestselling novel of the same name, “The Thursday Murder Club” follows four residents of a quiet retirement community who spend their time investigating cold cases for fun. But when a shady local developer turns up dead, with a mysterious photograph left beside the body, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly finds itself in the middle of a live case. As the bodies begin to pile up, they must rely on their unconventional but clever methods to uncover the killer before it’s too late.
Steven Spielberg had once flirted with the idea of directing “The Thursday Murder Club,” back when Meryl Streep and Viola Davis were circling two of the lead roles. Spielberg stepped back and took credit as an executive producer instead, and both actresses subsequently dropped out.
Columbus and Spielberg go way back, all the way to the ’80s, when they teamed up on “Gremlins” as writer and producer, respectively. Now, Spielberg has entrusted his longtime collaborator to steer this long-gestating project in the right direction.
Columbus last directed “The Christmas Chronicles” and its sequel for Netflix. His output over the last 20 years hasn’t exactly set the world on fire, with titles like “Pixels,” “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” “I Love You, Beth Cooper,” and “Rent.” Will “The Thursday Murder Club” mark a return to mainstream popularity?