Netflix's big-budget adaptation of Richard Osman's bestseller The Thursday Murder Club has started to slip down the streaming platform's rankings after less than two weeks, amid fan backlash over a major plot change.
The cosy crime thriller, starring Dame Helen Mirren, Sir Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie and Pierce Brosnan, was initially released in select cinemas after a lavish Leicester Square premiere on August 21. A week later it hit Netflix, going straight to number one in multiple countries and earning a 77% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
However, book fans have expressed displeasure about a significant alteration to the storyline involving Polish handyman Bogdan, played by Henry Lloyd-Hughes. In the film, Bogdan is arrested for murder, whereas in the book, he is allowed to get away with the crime and appears in later novels. Author Richard Osman weighed in via his newsletter, titled '#Justice4Bogdan', in a tongue-in-cheek nod to the departure.
Fans took to social media to criticise the change. One Reddit user said: 'I get the impression Richard Osman also isn’t impressed with Bogdan’s ending for the film.' Another commented: 'What they did to Bogdan was absolutely unbelievable, he is a central character in the upcoming movies.'
Osman's newsletter also offered an exclusive peek at a deleted scene featuring Joseph Marcell as Father Mackie, which he said would appear on Netflix soon. Despite the backlash, Osman expressed hope for more films, writing: 'I’m so glad so many of you around the world have enjoyed it so much. It hopefully means there will be more to come!'
