Netflix subscribers are in for a special treat with the release of The Thursday Murder Club on August 28.
The film, an adaptation of Richard Osman’s 2020 novel featuring his wife Ingrid Oliver, has already hit cinemas to mixed reviews, but those yet to see it on Netflix will be privy to some exclusive bonus footage.
Speaking at the British Library prior to the film’s launch, director Chris Columbus revealed that not all elements from the book made it into the final cut. He shared that the Netflix version would be accompanied by a unique short film.
He said: “Unfortunately some of the best scenes have been cut from the film. There is a scene where Ibrahim actually comes out to Ron and it was just timing.
“And it will be in the next film, hopefully. And there was a scene with Father Mackie who is a suspect and it was one of Celia and Helen’s most brilliant moments in the church and it was just… the film was too long.”
“So we actually created a Thursday Murder Club short. When you watch the film on Netflix you can watch the short called The Priest who Wasn’t A Priest and it’s a nine-minute short.
“So you can actually dive deeper into the film. I didn’t want to let that one go. So you will get to see that, and it’s a beautiful scene.”
The star-studded film, featuring big names such as Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Celia Imrie and Ben Kingsley, first premiered in cinemas on August 22.
The film has garnered a mixed bag of reviews, with an overall score of 81 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.
While some fans have praised the film as “good-natured and gorgeous to look at”, critics such as Clarisse Loughrey from The Independent have described it as “so flimsy and digestible, it barely exists”.
Ratings vary from a lowly two stars out of five to a commendable four stars, with Netflix viewers yet to weigh in.
Author Richard Osman confessed on his podcast, The Rest Is Entertainment, that there were some alterations made when adapting the book for the screen.
“The plot, as I understand it, for The Thursday Murder Club movie is based on the first book but it’s not entirely the same, because you have to change things is the truth,” he revealed.
“To have me looking over their shoulder every five seconds telling them that they couldn’t do this or they couldn’t do that I think would be hard.”
The Thursday Murder Club airs on Netflix on August 28