The trailer for the fifth season of Slow Horses has been released by Apple TV+ and sees the return of Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb
Gary Oldman returns in the trailer (Image: APPLE)
The fifth season of Slow Horses is just around the bend, and Apple TV+ has just given us a sneak peek with the release of the trailer for the BAFTA Award-winning spy drama.
This six-episode series is based on London Rules, the subsequent novel in Mick Herron’s popular book series.
The trailer sees Sir Gary Oldman reprising his role as Jackson Lamb, the genius yet grumpy leader of the espionage team.
In this new instalment, eyebrows are raised when resident tech whizz Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung) brings a stunning new girlfriend into the picture.
As a string of peculiar incidents unfold across the city, it’s up to the Slow Horses to connect the dots, reports the Express.
Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung) introduces a glamorous new girlfriend(Image: APPLE)
The trailer features Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas) detailing how eleven individuals were fatally shot, an incident they suspect Ho might be involved in.
Jackson immediately doubts his new flame as it emerges that “sinister forces” are attempting to destabilise the nation.
With the clock ticking, the Slow Horses have just sixty minutes to prevent the perpetrators from executing their next violent act, potentially endangering over 5,000 lives.
To make matters worse, it seems the Slow Horses have been duped by one of their own following a suspected breach in their system.
Slow Horses season 5 will air on Apple TV+(Image: APPLE)
Viewers have already rushed to the comments section to express their excitement about the captivating trailer, which features Emmy Award nominee Jack Lowden, Saskia Reeves, Rosalind Eleazar, Christopher Chung, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Ruth Bradley, James Callis, Tom Brooke, and Academy Award nominee Jonathan Pryce.
One viewer gushed: “One of the best shows ever created,” whilst another enthused: “Oh that’s cheered me up.”
A third remarked: “I have to watch this,” and a fourth declared: “This show made me fall in love with the quality of Apple Tv. Never gonna leave Apple TV.”
The fifth series will also feature Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed making a special guest appearance.
Reviewers praised it as “undoubtedly the best spy series on television,” describing it as a “truly epic espionage thriller” that is “utterly brilliant”.
Slow Horses launches in September with the opening episode, then continues with weekly instalments until October 29.
The sixth and seventh series of the darkly comic espionage drama have already been confirmed.
Slow Horses season 5 will debut on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, September 24.
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
Filming kicked off in 2024, with none other than Steven Spielberg serving as producer, and Osman has been keeping his followers informed about the latest happenings. Taking to Instagram, he reassured fans that the film would be available both in cinemas and on Netflix, addressing concerns that some might not be able to watch it.
The Thursday Murder Club(Image: Giles Keyte/Netflix)
He announced: “Some very good news for everyone who wanted to see #TheThursdayMurderClub in UK cinemas. Netflix have listened to the clamour, and the film will now have a run in UK cinemas.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the release date, cast and more.
When is The Thursday Murder Club out?
The Thursday Murder Club is set to premiere in UK cinemas on August 22.
It will then be available for streaming on Netflix from August 28, with a runtime of nearly two hours.
Who are the stars of The Thursday Murder Club?
The main four characters, Elizabeth Best, Ron Ritchie, Ibrahim Arif and Joyce Meadowcroft, will be played by Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie.
Osman recently addressed the contentious casting of Ron, telling Empire: “You have to do something unusual and different and interesting.
“Here’s the key thing about Pierce Brosnan playing Ron: Pierce Brosnan is who Ron would choose to play Ron.”
Doctor Who legend David Tennant has also been signed up as Ian Ventham, alongside Jonathan Pryce who plays Elizabeth’s other half Stephen.
Naomi Ackie is set to portray PC Donna De Freitas, whilst Daniel Mays takes on DCI Chris Hudson and Henry Lloyd-Hughes stars as Bogdan.
Additional big names joining the production include Richard E. Grant, Tom Ellis, Geoff Bell, Paul Freeman, Sarah Niles and Ingrid Oliver.
Helen Mirren and Celia Imrie(Image: Giles Keyte/Netflix)
Is there a trailer for The Thursday Murder Club?
Viewers get a sneak peek at Cooper’s Chase, the retirement community where the central characters live.
When a killing occurs nearby, Joyce is eager for the group to get involved and crack a fresh case.
Supporters flocked to the comments section to share their enthusiasm, with one posting: “The perfect cast, I am sooooo looking forward to seeing this film, love all the books, get ready to snuggle in and be totally enthralled.”
Someone else commented: “Totally didn’t expect this book series to be adapted by Netflix, really looking forward to this. I hope it’s good. And man this cast is stacked!”.
The Thursday Murder Club will hit UK cinemas on August 22. It will subsequently become available to stream on Netflix from August 28.
