The Netflix film was shot at a stunning Grade II listed house.
08:19, 18 Aug 2025Updated 13:48, 27 Aug 2025
Coopers Chase is a stunning home in real life(Image: NETFLIX)
The Thursday Murder Club airs on Netflix on August 28 and the film, which has already received mixed reviews, is an adaptation of Richard Osman’s 2020 novel.
Taking place at a retirement village known as Coopers Chase, the film follows four amateur sleuths as they take it upon themselves to investigate a recent murder.
Where is Coopers Chase in the Thursday Murder Club?
Production designer James Merifield chose somewhere he had filmed before to replicate the retirement village from the beloved book.
To bring Coopers Chase to life, he chose Englefield House in Berkshire – a Grade II listed house originally built in 1558.
The home has had substantial alterations since the 1820s, with Netflix explaining: “Its scale and architecture worked well as the ex-priory of the book.
“Within the house itself, many rooms and corridors were dressed to provide the residents with their elegant communal spaces, but there were also some substantial set builds including the Jigsaw Room where the gang congregates.”
As for the nearby cemetery, the set was inspired by a corner of the famous Highgate Cemetery in North London. It was constructed so convincingly that several cast members thought it was real.
Thursday Murder Club was filmed at Englefield House(Image: NETFLIX)
Can you visit the Coopers Chase house?
While Englefield House is a private residence and is not open to the public, the gardens are open to visitors every Monday throughout the year.
Visitors do not need to book in advance, but there is an entrance fee of £5. RHS and NGS cardholders, as well as children are entitled to free entry.
From March to October group tours are offered from Tuesday to Thursday for a minimum of 20 people and must be booked in advance. The estate’s website has all the details on how to book.
Englefield House is available to hire for private and corporate events, and the estate grounds and deer park provide a stunning location for outdoor events.
The estate has hosted a number of concerts, country fayres and classic car auctions in the house.
The Thursday Murder Club airs on Netflix on August 28
The legendary actress has graced screens in countless acclaimed productions throughout her career, including Prime Suspect, Hitchcock, The Madness of King George, Gosford Park and the Fast and Furious franchise.
However, it was her 2006 Academy Award-winning performance as the late Queen Elizabeth II that truly cemented her legacy, portraying the monarch who tragically died aged 96 in September 2022.
The film, penned by The Crown mastermind Peter Morgan, explores the Royal Family’s response following Princess Diana’s tragic death, as mounting public pressure from newly appointed Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) forces their hand.
It proved a delightful throwback when the 80-year-old star adopted a remarkably similar appearance in Netflix’s newest big-screen offering The Thursday Murder Club.
Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022. (Image: GETTY)
As the investigative team begins examining a property developer’s murder, pensioner Elizabeth Best (portrayed by Helen Mirren) decides to go “undercover” at the local police station.
Emerging from her bedroom, Elizabeth sports a lengthy checked skirt, cardigan, headscarf, oversized spectacles and walking stick.
She informs her husband: “I’m going out for the day, if you need me, just call me”, whilst Stephen Best (Jonathan Pryce) assures her he’ll manage perfectly well.
Actress Helen Mirren starred as the late Queen in the iconic award-winning 2006 film The Queen. (Image: PATHE)
He then chuckles: “What on earth are you wearing? You look like the Queen.
“Do I?” Elizabeth questions, a smile playing on her lips.
Stephen, who is living with dementia, then comments: “That was a sad day. The funeral.”
The Thursday Murder Club paid tribute to the Queen as Helen Mirren dressed in a similar fashion.(Image: NETFLIX)
Elizabeth enquires: “Do you remember that?”, to which he responds: “Of course I do. September 19, 2022. We watched it on the telly. You were obsessed with the security arrangements.”
She chuckles and concurs when Elizabeth informs him she’s “got a plan”, leading him to gently caress her face and say: “Oh my darling Elizabeth, you’ve always got a plan.”
Pryce, who plays Stephen, also has a Royal link as he portrayed Prince Philip in the final two series of The Crown on Netflix.
The Thursday Murder Club will premiere on Thursday, August 28, on Netflix.
The Thursday Club is based on the best-selling book from former Pointless star Richard Osman.
The Thursday Club is set to make its cinema debut this week with fans understandably excited thanks to the unbelievable cast.
Hype has been mounting for the premiere of the silver screen adaptation of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club for quite some time but now the wait is almost over.
The Pointless star’s best-selling 2020 novel revolves around four friends in a retirement home who spend their time solving cold case murders for fun.
However, things actually get real for them when a property developer is found dead and the gang find themselves in the middle of the murder investigation.
The Thursday Murder Club cast in full
Elizabeth Best – Helen Mirren
The Thursday Murder Club cast: Elizabeth Best is played by Helen Mirren. (Image: NETFLIX)
The one and only Helen Mirren is behind Elizabeth Best in this eagerly anticipated adaptation, an ex-spy and the founder of the Thursday Murder Club.
Mirren is renowned for starring in massive hits such as The Queen, Hitchcock, Age of Consent, Excalibur, Gosford Park and Calendar Girls.
Ron Ritchie – Pierce Brosnan
The Thursday Murder Club cast: Ron Ritchie is played by Pierce Brosnan. (Image: GETTY)
Fellow member of the Thursday Murder Club is Ron Ritchie, a former union activist.
Irish star Pierce Brosnan is globally best remembered for starring as James Bond in the iconic franchise but has also been in Mamma Mia! and most recently starred in Paramount+’s Mobland.
Ibrahim Arif – Sir Ben Kingsley
The Thursday Murder Club cast: Ibrahim Arif is played by Sir Ben Kingsley. (Image: GETTY)
Ron and Elizabeth are joined by fellow retiree and ex-psychiatrist Ibrahim Arif.
Sir Ben Kingsley has featured in major blockbusters including Sexy Beast, Shutter Island, Jules, William Tell and Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi.
Joyce Meadowcroft – Celia Imrie
The Thursday Murder Club cast: Joyce Meadowcroft is played by Celia Imrie.(Image: NETFLIX)
Actress Celia Imrie is a star of both TV and film, with projects like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Bridget Jones’ Diary, Calendar Girls, Keeping Faith, The Diplomat and Patrick Melrose under her belt.
Imrie is behind former nurse and latest member of the club, Joyce Meadowcroft.
DCI Chris Hudson – Daniel Mays
The Thursday Murder Club cast: DCI Chris Hudson is played by Daniel Mays.(Image: NETFLIX)
Another recognisable star of British TV is actor Daniel Mays who is known for his work in Lin of Duty, Ashes to Ashes, White Lines, Des and Code 404.
He is behind DCI Chris Hudson who gets sucked into the workings of the Thursday Murder Club.
Donna de Freitas – Naomi Ackie
The Thursday Murder Club cast: Donna de Freitas is played by Naomi Ackie. (Image: NETFLIX)
In Osman’s novel, Donna de Freitas is an eager policewoman who has just been transferred from South London.
Actress Naomi Ackie won the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress in Netflix ’s The End of the F*****g World, and has also been in BBC ’s Small Axe, Star Wars : Rise of Skywalker and portrayed Whitney Houston in the biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody.
Stephen Best – Jonathan Pryce
The Thursday Murder Club cast: Stephen Best is played by Jonathan Pryce. (Image: GETTY)
Welsh star Jonathan Pryce has featured in mega hits like The Age of Innocence, Pirates of the Caribbean, Evita, Tomorrow Never Dies and The Two Popes.
Pryce, who will play Elizabeth’s husband Stephen Best, also portrayed Prince Philip in the final two seasons of The Crown.
Ian Ventham – David Tennant
The Thursday Murder Club cast: Ian Ventham is played by David Tennant. (Image: GETTY)
Scottish star David Tennant has featured in an abundance of exciting shows and films including Broadchurch, Good Omens, Deadwater Fell, Jessica Jones, the Harry Potter franchise, The Sandman and, of course, as the tenth Time Lord in Doctor Who.
In The Thursday Murder Club, Tennant portrays Ian Ventham, the dodgy owner of the retirement village Coopers Chase.
Bogdan Jankowski – Henry Lloyd-Hughes
The Thursday Murder Club cast: Bogdan Jankowski is played by Henry Lloyd-Hughes. (Image: GETTY)
Actor Henry Lloyd-Hughe is behind the Thursday Murder Club’s right-hand man, although how he becomes involved isn’t made clear.
Lloyd-Hughes has starred in The Irregulars, Indian Summers, Parade’s End and The Long Shadow but many may remember him best for playing bully Mark Donovan in The Inbetweeners.
Tony Curran – Geoff Bell
Actor Geoff Bell has starred in The Business, Once Upon a Time in London, Daylight Robbery and, most recently, Mobland, just to list a few.
He is behind Tony Curran, a builder and business partner at the retirement village.
Jason Ritchie – Tom Ellis
The Thursday Murder Club cast: Jason Ritchie is played by Tom Ellis.(Image: NETFLIX)
Jason Ritchie is Brosnan’s character Ron’s son who used to be a famous boxer who previously made some “shady deals”.
He is brought to life by the unforgettable Tom Ellis who starred as Lucifer himself in the titular drama, and also had roles in Miranda, Washington Black and Once Upon A Time.
Bobby Tanner – Richard E Grant
The Thursday Murder Club cast: Bobby Tanner is played by Richard E Grant.(Image: GETTY)
Also joining the cast is actor Richard E Grant who is playing a character called Bobby Tanner.
Grant is known for his roles in Saltburn, Waltlock, Death of a Unicorn, Dom Hemingway and Withnail and I.
John Grey – Paul Freeman
John Grey is a fellow resident at Coopers Chase and the husband of a friend of Elizabeth’s.
Actor Paul Freeman is remembered for starring in The Dogs of War and Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Patrice de Freitas – Sarah Niles
The Thursday Murder Club cast: Patrice de Freitas is played by Sarah Niles. (Image: GETTY)
Actress Sarah Niles is best known for starring as Dr Sharon Fieldstone in Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso.
She is playing Patrice de Freitas, young police officer Donna’s mum.
Joanna Meadowcroft – Ingrid Oliver
The Thursday Murder Club author Richard Osman’s wife Ingrid Oliver stars as Joanna Meadowcroft in the film adaptation.(Image: GETTY)
Actress and comedian Ingrid Oliver, who was part of the double act Watson and Oliver and played Petronella Osgood in Doctor Who, is behind Joyce’s daughter Joanna Meadowcroft.
In real life, Oliver is also the wife of The Thursday Murder Club author Richard Osman.
The Thursday Murder Club premieres on Friday, August 22, in cinemas, and on Thursday, August 28, on Netflix.
Boasting a star-studded cast, the movie follows four retirees who spend their time solving cold case murders for fun, but they end up with a real whodunit on their hands.
The film stars Helen Mirren as Elizabeth, Pierce Brosnan as Ron, Ben Kingsley as Ibrahim and Celia Imrie as Joyce, and it was directed by Chris Columbus.
Chris said of the film: “There’s a wonderful mystery at its core, so fans of detective and thriller films will not be disappointed.
Celia Imrie and Ben Kingsley in The Thursday Murder Club (Image: NETFLIX)
“Thematically, I found it interesting that at the heart of the novel, there are four elderly people, living in a retirement community, who are obsessed with death and murder.
“They are in the last act of their lives, facing their own mortality, yet they are somehow obsessed with studying cold cases that deal with violent murders. I fell in love with that concept. It’s darkly comedic and deeply emotional.”
Thursday Murder Club is also coming to Netflix (Image: Netflix)
Translating the complex 350 page novel, which is full of plot twists, into a screenplay was actor and comedian Katy Brand’s responsibility.
“I remember thinking ‘there’s so much to play with here – it’s such an explosion of ideas.’ My immediate sense regarding adapting the book was that I wanted to draw out the emotion and Chris Columbus seemed to respond to that when we first met,” she said.
Chris opened up about how he initially became involved in the project, admitting the first scripts were not to his liking.
He said: “I was a fan of the books, but the initial scripts I read veered far from the novel. I felt that this was a mistake and I wanted to preserve what everyone loved about the book.
The Thursday Murder Club boasts an A-List cast(Image: Netflix)
“When I first met with the writer, Katy Brand, I was convinced that she not only understood what made the novel so incredibly popular with readers around the world.
“But she also had the vision to write a film that was faithful to the source material. Katy’s draft was wonderful.
“And it was because of that draft that we were able to get so many British acting legends to commit to our film.”
The film also stars Naomi Ackie as PC Donna De Freitas, Daniel Mays as DCI Chris Hudson, Tom Ellis as Jason Ritchie, Jonathan Pryce as Stephen Best and David Tennant as Ian Ventham.
The Thursday Murder Club airs on Netflix on August 28
Karen Pirie is back and she’s set for a whirlwind – but off-screen, things were just as intense for series creator Emer Kenny, who couldn’t rely on her famous (and busy) husband.
07:00, 20 Jul 2025Updated 07:40, 20 Jul 2025
Lauren Lyle reprises her role as Karen Pirie in the second season of the hit ITV show(Image: ITV)
Karen Pirie’s second season is packed with intense drama and explosive bombshells – but things were just as intense behind the scenes. Series creator Emer Kenny juggled triple duties as writer, executive producer and cast member as Karen’s best friend River… while also being a new mum.
“Filming was hectic,” she says, “My baby was 12 weeks old when I started writing the season and he was 18 months old when we were shooting. He came to Glasgow with me for three months.”
Emer had a secret weapon, but it wasn’t her husband, presenter Rick Edwards. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my mum,” she says. “My husband was away working in Germany at the Euros because he’s a presenter, so I had my mum with me at all times.”
Kylie Minogue helped too, making a daunting experience a delight: “Kylie has her own brand of rose that we drank the whole way through. It was absolutely crazy but I never feel more alive than when we’re making stuff. It just feels thrilling.”
Lauren Lyle returns to the ITV crime drama as the sharp, scrappy Scottish detective in the second season of Karen Pirie, and DI Karen’s ready to ruffle a few feathers.
Freshly promoted – albeit reluctantly – she’s still got everything to prove. “She’s determined to prove herself,” Lauren says. “Even though she’s been promoted, she’s still doubted.
It’s a reluctant promotion. Where her boss says, ‘You’re difficult but you’re great so you deserve it.’ That’s what drives her. There’s a general frustration with men being in her way and having to listen to them.”
Karen Pirie investigates the case of Catriona Grant this season – a young mother who was kidnapped at gunpoint with her toddler son(Image: ITV/ITVX)
The TV adaptation of Val McDermid’s best-selling novel series was a hit during its first season. So it’s no surprise that Emer also felt the pressure.
“It was a little daunting,” she says, “Season one was my first time writing a show. Coming back, you really hope you can match the energy and bring another good story. So I was a little daunted but the book has a really exciting story.”
Based on A Darker Domain, the second novel in the Karen Pirie series, the new season dives into a case that’s haunted the nation for decades: the 1984 disappearance of heiress Catriona Grant and her toddler son, Adam.
“She’s kidnapped at gunpoint, and then a ransom note arrives at her family home with a polaroid of her, and she is never seen again,” teases Emer. “There’s never a handover. No other ransom note was received.” Until now.
When a body is found in a remote quarry, it blows the case wide open. But it’s not Catriona. “It’s a man,” says Emer, “But her car key is in his pocket.”
As the investigation unfolds, so do the secrets – including Catriona’s steamy, hidden affair with Mick, played by The Last Kingdom’s Mark Rowley.
“Julia (Brown) and Mark were amazing together,” Emer says, “When I got their auditions in, I knew it would work. It was really important that their love story felt romantic and real.”
Outlander star Lauren Lyle reprises her role as the cold case expert (Image: ITV/ITVX)
But Catriona isn’t the only one getting her heart tangled this season. Karen’s own love life heats up with DS Phil Parhatka, played by Zach Wyatt, but she’s keeping it strictly under wraps.
“Karen’s under the impression a woman can only have one of the other – a career or a home life,” Lauren says. “Phil’s a good, smart man who’s willing to support her, but Karen thinks she has to choose her career to keep getting ahead. Her career gives her a sense of worth, but it can damage her love life.”
But the cold case earns her more attention and Karen struggles to keep the balance. “No one at work knows they’re together and she wants to keep it that way,” Emer says. “But there’s a whole new level of public interest. This is an even bigger case than the first one so she has a lot of eyes on her.”
If the stakes are higher, the humour’s sharper too – something inspired by Miss Congeniality. “Lauren and I always talk about Sandra Bullock’s character in that film as a big touchstone. We love her humour and her no-nonsense personality,” Emer says.
Other icons helped shape Karen’s DNA: Helen Mirren’s steely Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect, Kate Winslet’s bruised brilliance in Mare of Easttown and Toni Collette’s grit in Unbelievable.
The new season of Karen Pirie blends romance, mystery and secrets(Image: ITV/ITVX)
Season two took the cast from gritty Glasgow streets to the sun-drenched chaos of Malta. “We had to move the shoot to September because it was too hot in Malta to shoot,” Emer remembers.
“We had tons of running scenes through the streets of Malta in 40 degree heat. But I think they loved it. I think they loved having their inner James Bond moments.”
Audiences clearly love it too and with eight novels in the series (and counting), there’s no shortage of source material. “There is potential for another season and ITV are really supportive,” Emer says. “It just depends on whether the audience wants more.” But for now, Karen is here to stay – and she’s fiercer than ever.
