Chris Columbus has said that despite being known for classics such as Home Alone, Mrs Doubtfire and the first two Harry Potter films, he never intended to make “family movies.”
The director, 66, told The Standard: “Every film is different. Interestingly enough, people refer to those films as family films, but it’s never intentional.
“In films like Home Alone or Harry Potter I always wanted to make sure the adults were entertained even more so than the children, because I had to go to movies with my kids and I would be so bored through most of these cartoons. I hated them because they were pandering to the kids.”
Columbus has now turned his attention to The Thursday Murder Club, Netflix’s adaptation of Richard Osman’s bestselling cosy-crime novel, out on August 28. Starring Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie, it follows four friends in a retirement village who meet weekly to solve cold cases — until a real murder lands on their doorstep.
He said the film’s tone was guided by its setting. “From a visual style, it was really dictated by the fact that Cooper’s Chase was the fifth character in this film. It had to feel like an aspirational place, sort of wish fulfilment, where as a person who’s retiring you would want to be, because it’s filled with life and hope — the antithesis of what most retirement communities are.”
Columbus is currently working on writing sequels to the 1980s classics Gremlins and The Goonies, along with producing the follow up to Jim Henson’s Labyrinth.
He highlighted the importance of small details for his cast: “Celia [Imrie] had this little handkerchief she kept with her all the time that maybe wasn’t always going to be seen on screen, but was such an important part to the actor.
“In terms of Ben Kingsley, his apartment had things he requested be put on nightstands and tables that we never saw, but it made him feel more in character. Anything you can do to make your actors as comfortable as possible is my goal.”
To mark the release, Netflix is partnering with the Royal Horticultural Society on a week-long series of immersive events from August 22–28. All five RHS gardens across the UK will host a Thursday Murder Club trail, including themed scavenger hunts, floral billboards and, at RHS Wisley, a tearoom takeover serving character-inspired treats such as Joyce’s lemon drizzle cake and Ron’s sausage rolls.
Where to take part:
- RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey
- RHS Garden Bridgewater, Greater Manchester
- RHS Garden Harlow Carr, North Yorkshire
- RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Essex
- RHS Garden Rosemoor, Devon
Attending the launch at RHS Wisley alongside Imrie, he praised The Thursday Murder Club’s immersive experience for offering the “excitement of a murder mystery with beautiful surroundings.”
The Thursday Murder Club trail is included in the RHS Garden entry. Tickets for the gardens vary and can be purchased online or on-site; visit www.rhs.org.uk/gardens for details.
