June Squibb stars in her first leading role in the highly anticipated comedy-action film, Thelma. Premiering at Sundance 2024, this heartwarming movie, directed by Josh Margolin, presents a unique twist on the action genre by turning a senior citizen into an unlikely hero. A Road Trip Adventure with Heart The film loosely draws from the real-life experiences of Margolin’s grandmother. Margolin was inspired to make the Sundance Premieres selection after his own grandmother Thelma nearly fell for a scam., stated the director.In Thelma, June Squibb plays the titular character who is duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her
The post June Squibb Is On A Mission In The Trailer For One Of Sundance 2024s Best Movies first appeared on TVovermind.
The post June Squibb Is On A Mission In The Trailer For One Of Sundance 2024s Best Movies first appeared on TVovermind.
- 5/18/2024
- by Steve Delikson
- TVovermind.com
Closer in tone to the sharp adult series “BoJack Horseman” than to Illumination’s bland “Sing” franchise, Netflix’s “Thelma the Unicorn” avoids being rendered completely unoriginal by its overly familiar premise thanks to consistent splashes of acid humor and a plethora of wacky supporting characters. Reimagined from the popular 2015 children’s book by Aaron Blabey, this bright-colored fable concerns a female pony chasing musical stardom disguised as a horned magical creature. But by changing her identity to chase those ambitions, Thelma betrays herself and those who truly know her.
The adaptation marks the animated feature debut for co-directors Jared Hess and Lynn Wang. Hess, still best known for co-writing and directing the 2004 indie hit “Napoleon Dynamite,” received an Oscar nomination earlier this year for the handcrafted animated short “Ninety-Five Senses” about a Death Row inmate. He shared the accolade with his wife and careerlong collaborator Jerusha Hess (also his...
The adaptation marks the animated feature debut for co-directors Jared Hess and Lynn Wang. Hess, still best known for co-writing and directing the 2004 indie hit “Napoleon Dynamite,” received an Oscar nomination earlier this year for the handcrafted animated short “Ninety-Five Senses” about a Death Row inmate. He shared the accolade with his wife and careerlong collaborator Jerusha Hess (also his...
- 5/17/2024
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Variety Film + TV
Jared and Jenusha Hess made a name for themselves with the quirky comedy Napoleon Dynamite but recently earned status as Academy Award nominees for their animated short Ninety-Five Senses. Thus, hopes were certainly high for their next project, the Netflix animated feature Thelma the Unicorn. Those hopes are misguided.
Inspired by the children’s book by Aaron Blabey, Thelma the Unicorn tells the story of a common farm pony who seizes the chance to make her dream come true when a chance incident causes her to look like a unicorn, only to realize that all that glitters is not… unicorns? With a pretty brief runtime, one would think that this would at least feel mercifully short. Unfortunately, the movie feels so uninspired that it goes by slowly nonetheless.
As is the case with most kids’ movies, Thelma the Unicorn has a very positive message for younger audiences. It’s a pretty straightforward underdog story,...
Inspired by the children’s book by Aaron Blabey, Thelma the Unicorn tells the story of a common farm pony who seizes the chance to make her dream come true when a chance incident causes her to look like a unicorn, only to realize that all that glitters is not… unicorns? With a pretty brief runtime, one would think that this would at least feel mercifully short. Unfortunately, the movie feels so uninspired that it goes by slowly nonetheless.
As is the case with most kids’ movies, Thelma the Unicorn has a very positive message for younger audiences. It’s a pretty straightforward underdog story,...
- 5/17/2024
- by Sean Boelman
- FandomWire
“I didn’t think I was going to get that far,” admits Thelma Houston, the legendary Grammy-winning diva who placed third on “The Masked Singer” as Clock. “There have been some other divas out there that we know well that didn’t get quite that far, so I said, ‘Well, as long as I can do as good as they did that would be great.’ To go this far was just a surprise to me. It was one of the most challenging things I have ever done, trust and believe.”
The 81-year old revealed in one of her clue packages that she skipped the 1978 Grammy Awards because she never though she’d win for her classic Motown hit “Don’t Leave Me This Way.” She explains, “Two years prior to that I had been nominated for a Grammy before. When Aretha [Franklin] is on there you can just forget about winning.
The 81-year old revealed in one of her clue packages that she skipped the 1978 Grammy Awards because she never though she’d win for her classic Motown hit “Don’t Leave Me This Way.” She explains, “Two years prior to that I had been nominated for a Grammy before. When Aretha [Franklin] is on there you can just forget about winning.
- 5/16/2024
- by Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
Unicorns aren’t real, but if they were, is it so absurd to think they might be pop stars? After all, the classical depiction of a unicorn is fairly stage-ready: big eyelashes, plenty of glitter, iconic headwear. Who’s to say they wouldn’t be able to top the Billboard Hot 100?
In Thelma the Unicorn, that’s exactly what happens — with a bit of a twist. The new animated comedy based on the popular books by Aaron Blabey follows Thelma, a small-time pony with a big dream: to become a hit musician. And after a convenient visit from a glitter-and-paint trunk, she gets her wish — but is living as a unicorn really what Thelma wants? Voiced by Grammy award-winning artist Brittany Howard, Thelma sets out on a musical adventure that’ll have you tapping your feet (or hooves!) along with the beat.
You can check out the trailer for the...
In Thelma the Unicorn, that’s exactly what happens — with a bit of a twist. The new animated comedy based on the popular books by Aaron Blabey follows Thelma, a small-time pony with a big dream: to become a hit musician. And after a convenient visit from a glitter-and-paint trunk, she gets her wish — but is living as a unicorn really what Thelma wants? Voiced by Grammy award-winning artist Brittany Howard, Thelma sets out on a musical adventure that’ll have you tapping your feet (or hooves!) along with the beat.
You can check out the trailer for the...
- 5/15/2024
- by John DiLillo
- Tudum - Netflix
June Squibb Triumphs in Her First Leading Role In a delightful twist of fate, June Squibb, an Oscar-nominated veteran actress known for her role in Nebraska, steps into the action genre with a groundbreaking performance. At 94 years old, she tackles her first-ever leading role in the new film Thelma. Her portrayal of Thelma Post, a feisty nonagenarian scammed by a deceitful caller, captivates audiences with both intense action and heartfelt comedy. Fueled by a personal vengeance and armed with an unyielding spirit, Thelma’s journey through Los Angeles’s perilous urban jungle becomes not just a fight against scammers but also
The post June Squibb Shines as an Unexpected Action Hero in Thelma first appeared on TVovermind.
The post June Squibb Shines as an Unexpected Action Hero in Thelma first appeared on TVovermind.
- 5/13/2024
- by Steve Delikson
- TVovermind.com
Revenge flicks are nothing new on the market, and while we’ve always had them, there was a proper little boom of such movies after the success of Liam Neeson’s Taken. Now, many have tried, some have failed, some have succeeded in making a good revenge flick, and while we don’t know if the movie we are reporting about is going to succeed or fail, it is certainly going to be one of the most original takes on the genre. Namely, legendary Oscar-nominee June Squibb (94) is probably the last name you’d think of when searching for a revenge flick star, but this year’s upcoming movie Thelma is going to deliver just that. The movie has just released its first trailer and you will be able to check it out below.
The movie is going to be an action comedy that will show June Squibb tackle a Bryan Mills-eseuqe role,...
The movie is going to be an action comedy that will show June Squibb tackle a Bryan Mills-eseuqe role,...
- 5/11/2024
- by Arthur S. Poe
- Fiction Horizon
One of the most purely enjoyable movies to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival found June Squibb on a mission for justice. Josh Margolin’s debut Thelma finds the nonagenarian actor in, shockingly, her first leading role (starring alongside Richard Roundtree in his final role) as a grandma who hunts down a phone scammer who pretended to be her grandson (Fred Hechinger). Also starring Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, and Malcolm McDowell, it’s arriving June 21 and Magnolia Pictures has now debuted the first trailer.
Jake Kring-Schreifels said in his review, “At the beginning of Thelma––a loveable, low-stakes joyride from director Josh Margolin––the movie’s eponymous 93-year-old grandmother sits on the couch with her grandson Daniel and marvels at Tom Cruise. They’re watching a recent Mission: Impossible sequel on her tiny television and can’t fathom Cruise’s running and jumping daredevil-ism at his weathered age. Thelma may live alone,...
Jake Kring-Schreifels said in his review, “At the beginning of Thelma––a loveable, low-stakes joyride from director Josh Margolin––the movie’s eponymous 93-year-old grandmother sits on the couch with her grandson Daniel and marvels at Tom Cruise. They’re watching a recent Mission: Impossible sequel on her tiny television and can’t fathom Cruise’s running and jumping daredevil-ism at his weathered age. Thelma may live alone,...
- 5/10/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
"We all have our good days and our bad days?" "And what's today?" "We'll find out." Magnolia Pics has launched their full official trailer the Sundance 2024 hit film Thelma, from writer / director Josh Margolin. It didn't win any awards, but it did win over the hearts of many Sundance viewers as one of the best of the fest (I wrote a glowing review). Inspired by a real-life experience of Margolin's own grandmother, Thelma puts a clever spin on movies like Mission: Impossible, shining the spotlight on an elderly grandmother as an unlikely action hero. Yes, she kicks some serious ass. With infectious humor, Margolin employs the familiar tropes of the action genre in hilarious, age-appropriate ways to tackle aging with agency. In the first leading film role of her 70-year career, June Squibb plays Thelma with grit and determination, demonstrating that she is more than capable of taking care of business.
- 5/9/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
May is here, and what does that mean? Obviously, a huge number of all kinds of intriguing releases on Netflix, which are rushing to replenish the streaming service's library! Today, we're going to talk specifically about the company's full-length, internationally available original projects.
From an animated pony musical starring Brittany Howard to an anime feature by the co-director of A Whisker Away. From a new Jerry Seinfeld comedy to a sci-fi action film headlined by Jennifer Lopez. Without further ado, let's take a look at what high-octane movie premieres Netflix has in store for us in May 2024. Don't forget to renew your subscription!
4. Unfrosted
Release Date: May 3, 2024
Genre: Comedy, Biography
Since ending his iconic sitcom 26 years ago, Jerry Seinfeld has maintained a steady stream of active comedy work, which has flourished in recent years thanks to the legendary stand-up comedian's multi-year deal with Netflix. And now, the streaming service added another Seinfeld's story,...
From an animated pony musical starring Brittany Howard to an anime feature by the co-director of A Whisker Away. From a new Jerry Seinfeld comedy to a sci-fi action film headlined by Jennifer Lopez. Without further ado, let's take a look at what high-octane movie premieres Netflix has in store for us in May 2024. Don't forget to renew your subscription!
4. Unfrosted
Release Date: May 3, 2024
Genre: Comedy, Biography
Since ending his iconic sitcom 26 years ago, Jerry Seinfeld has maintained a steady stream of active comedy work, which has flourished in recent years thanks to the legendary stand-up comedian's multi-year deal with Netflix. And now, the streaming service added another Seinfeld's story,...
- 5/7/2024
- by louise.everitt@startefacts.com (Louise Everitt)
- STartefacts.com
Summer doesn’t officially begin until June 20, 2024, but for the entertainment industry, the summer season starts in early May. In fact, as far as the Netflix streaming service is concerned, summer this year starts on May 3rd, so they have just unveiled their full 2024 Summer Movie slate! As they put it, “Summertime: The living is easy, school’s (almost) out, and the days are growing longer and hotter — which means there’s plenty of space for cool nights spent on the couch. Curl up with family, pals, or a really big bowl of popcorn, and queue up your next Netflix obsession.” Here’s what they’ll have to offer over the next few months:
May 3
Unfrosted
Genre: Comedy
Synopsis: Michigan, 1963. Kellogg’s and Post, sworn cereal rivals, race to create a pastry that will change the face of breakfast. A tale of ambition, betrayal, sugar, and menacing milkmen, Unfrosted stars...
May 3
Unfrosted
Genre: Comedy
Synopsis: Michigan, 1963. Kellogg’s and Post, sworn cereal rivals, race to create a pastry that will change the face of breakfast. A tale of ambition, betrayal, sugar, and menacing milkmen, Unfrosted stars...
- 5/1/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
New month, new selections from Netflix! This May, the streamer is setting the stage for tons of laughs with its annual Netflix is a Joke Fest, which kicks off in Los Angeles on Thursday, May 2. But if you're too far from the City of Angels, follow John Mulaney as he heads out onto the street to welcome his funniest friends to the city in "John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s In LA," a six-night live comedy event. Plus, Netflix will host the Mark Twain Prize Award for Kevin Hart, the Roast of Tom Brady, new specials from Rachel Feinstein, Franco Escamilla, and more.
On the scripted side, the wait is over, “Bridgerton” fans: the first part of Season 3 will drop in a batch during the middle of the month. And all month long, catch new series, film, documentary, anime, and family premieres.
Ready to watch? Find out The Streamable’s top picks for the month,...
On the scripted side, the wait is over, “Bridgerton” fans: the first part of Season 3 will drop in a batch during the middle of the month. And all month long, catch new series, film, documentary, anime, and family premieres.
Ready to watch? Find out The Streamable’s top picks for the month,...
- 5/1/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
Any prequel to the Alien series would face a challenge. If we forget for a moment that Alien 3 ever happened, the first two films in the series were absolute classics. They are as influential today as they were when they were first released in 1979 and 1986, respectively.
The main problem with 2017's Alien: Covenant was a departure from what made those two movies so good.
Too much tech, not enough tension
Alien and Aliens are big movies that benefited from an almost B-movie feel. Of course, filmmaking was very different when Ridley Scott's directing career was in its infancy, but you get the sense that he wasn't just working within constraints – he really understood his craft.
Alien: Covenant embraced CGI to such an extent that it often felt like it was so far removed from the originals that it was a different franchise. You certainly wouldn't have guessed that...
The main problem with 2017's Alien: Covenant was a departure from what made those two movies so good.
Too much tech, not enough tension
Alien and Aliens are big movies that benefited from an almost B-movie feel. Of course, filmmaking was very different when Ridley Scott's directing career was in its infancy, but you get the sense that he wasn't just working within constraints – he really understood his craft.
Alien: Covenant embraced CGI to such an extent that it often felt like it was so far removed from the originals that it was a different franchise. You certainly wouldn't have guessed that...
- 4/24/2024
- by info@startefacts.com (Lee Jevon)
- STartefacts.com
The Nantucket Film Festival has set the lineup for its 2024 edition and will honor Emmy-nominated writer-producer Kerry Ehrin, Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Roger Ross Williams and Girls5Eva showrunner Meredith Scardino.
The 29th edition of the festival will open with Josh Margolin’s June Squibb-starrer Thelma, close with Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s Christopher Reeve documentary Super/Man and Jeff Zimbalist’s documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, about a daredevil couple who secretly filmed themselves climbing the world’s last super skyscraper. The festival will also continue its tradition of screening a Disney or Pixar film on its opening day, with a festival screening of Inside Out 2.
The festival also announced several honorees: Ehrin will receive the Excellence in Television Writing Award; Williams will receive the Career Achievement in Filmmaking Award and his latest feature Stamped From the Beginning, based on the book of the same name by Ibram X. Kendi,...
The 29th edition of the festival will open with Josh Margolin’s June Squibb-starrer Thelma, close with Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s Christopher Reeve documentary Super/Man and Jeff Zimbalist’s documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, about a daredevil couple who secretly filmed themselves climbing the world’s last super skyscraper. The festival will also continue its tradition of screening a Disney or Pixar film on its opening day, with a festival screening of Inside Out 2.
The festival also announced several honorees: Ehrin will receive the Excellence in Television Writing Award; Williams will receive the Career Achievement in Filmmaking Award and his latest feature Stamped From the Beginning, based on the book of the same name by Ibram X. Kendi,...
- 4/23/2024
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Thelma The Unicorn is coming to Netflix this May 17, 2024, This animated musical is led by the talented singer Brittany Howard, This is her acting debut after years of doing music. For a first-time voice actress, she fits the role like a glove. It is based on a book written by Aaron Blabey. Husband and wife duo of Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess writes the screenplay of the film. Jared also directs this movie in collaboration with Lynn Wang. The Hess couple are known for their works in Nacho Libre and Napoleon Dynamite. Netflix have a string of successful animated films while Mainstream film companies are struggling to make Cinematic animated movies succeed. Thelma The Unicorn Thelma, an aspiring singer from a small town, faced rejection from the music industry due to her plain appearance as a farm pony. Let’s be honest, even though music is primarily heard, most people...
- 4/17/2024
- by Skylar Kinsley
- popgeeks - film
Un vistazo al mundo de fantasía que te espera en la próxima película de animación de Netflix. © Netflix
Netflix ha publicado el primer tráiler y póster de su nueva comedia animada, “Telma, la Unicornio”, basada en los populares libros infantiles de Aaron Blabey.
La película sigue a Telma, una poni que sueña con convertirse en una glamurosa estrella de la música. Tras la oportuna visita de un baúl de purpurina y pintura rosa, Thelma se transforma en un unicornio e instantáneamente alcanza el estrellato mundial. Pero esta nueva vida de fama tiene un coste.
El reparto de voces de “Telma, la Unicornio” lo forman Brittany Howard (cantante y compositor de Alabama Shakes) como Telma, Will Forte (“Lluvia de Hamburguesas”), Jemaine Clement (“Moana”), Edi Patterson (“The Guilty”), Maliaka Mitchell, Ally Dixon (“The Croods: Family Tree”), Fred Armisen (“The Mitchells vs. The Machines”), Zach Galifianakis (“The Lego Batman Movie”), Jon Heder (“Napoleon...
Netflix ha publicado el primer tráiler y póster de su nueva comedia animada, “Telma, la Unicornio”, basada en los populares libros infantiles de Aaron Blabey.
La película sigue a Telma, una poni que sueña con convertirse en una glamurosa estrella de la música. Tras la oportuna visita de un baúl de purpurina y pintura rosa, Thelma se transforma en un unicornio e instantáneamente alcanza el estrellato mundial. Pero esta nueva vida de fama tiene un coste.
El reparto de voces de “Telma, la Unicornio” lo forman Brittany Howard (cantante y compositor de Alabama Shakes) como Telma, Will Forte (“Lluvia de Hamburguesas”), Jemaine Clement (“Moana”), Edi Patterson (“The Guilty”), Maliaka Mitchell, Ally Dixon (“The Croods: Family Tree”), Fred Armisen (“The Mitchells vs. The Machines”), Zach Galifianakis (“The Lego Batman Movie”), Jon Heder (“Napoleon...
- 4/17/2024
- by Marta Medina
- mundoCine
Emily Kassie and Julian Brave NoiseCat’s documentary “Sugarcane” garnered the top nonfiction honor at the 26th annual Sarasota Film Festival. About the abuse and death of Indigenous children at a Canadian-based Indian Residential School, the docu premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival (Sff), where it picked up the U.S. documentary directing kudo. In February, National Geographic Documentary Films acquired the film.
The doc feature jury made up of producer Wren Arthur, Indiewire’s Christian Blauvelt, NPR’s Eric Deggans, and Doc NYC artistic director Jaie Laplante said in a joint statement that they selected the film for “bravely tackling the legacy of trauma from the abuse of First Nations students at the St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School in British Columbia. The Catholic Church-run school closed decades ago, but the horrors there are still deeply felt by generations across an entire community. The filmmakers do not lose sight...
The doc feature jury made up of producer Wren Arthur, Indiewire’s Christian Blauvelt, NPR’s Eric Deggans, and Doc NYC artistic director Jaie Laplante said in a joint statement that they selected the film for “bravely tackling the legacy of trauma from the abuse of First Nations students at the St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School in British Columbia. The Catholic Church-run school closed decades ago, but the horrors there are still deeply felt by generations across an entire community. The filmmakers do not lose sight...
- 4/15/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
"You're like a fluffy piece of cotton candy with legs!" Netflix has revealed an official trailer for Thelma the Unicorn, an animated musical comedy from filmmakers Jared Hess & Lynn Wang. Made by Mikros Animation and Netflix Animation, along with Buzzfeed Studios, Matchbox Hero, Scholastic Entertainment. Thelma is a small-time pony who dreams of becoming a glamorous music star. In a moment of fate, Thelma is transformed into a unicorn and she instantly rises to global stardom, but this new life of fame comes at a cost. This animated comedy stars singer / songwriter Brittany Howard as the voice of Thelma, along with Will Forte, Jemaine Clement, Edi Patterson, Maliaka Mitchell, Ally Dixon, Fred Armisen, Zach Galifianakis, and Jon Heder. This looks way, way too similar to the Sing series of movies, with singing animals competing in competitions. Though I do like the plot in this being inspired by being fake (on...
- 4/15/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Film Independent’s Fiscal Sponsorship program supports an inclusive variety of projects, narrative and nonfiction, shorts and features, as well as the occasional new media project, special event or advocacy initiative. Each month, our Fiscal Spotlight column introduces three new fiscally-sponsored projects worth supporting.
But maybe you’re curious how some of those prior subjects have turned out? That’s right: it’s time for another FiSpo Update highlighting the recent achievements of previous Fiscal Spotlight subjects. Curious how it all works? See below:
Film Independent’s Fiscal Sponsorship program opens the door to nonprofit funding for independent filmmakers and media artists. The projects and makers participating in the program express a uniqueness of vision, celebrate diversity and advance the craft of filmmaking through the creation of these special works. To see the full range of projects that are part of our program, visit our Sponsored Projects page.
Down Below...
But maybe you’re curious how some of those prior subjects have turned out? That’s right: it’s time for another FiSpo Update highlighting the recent achievements of previous Fiscal Spotlight subjects. Curious how it all works? See below:
Film Independent’s Fiscal Sponsorship program opens the door to nonprofit funding for independent filmmakers and media artists. The projects and makers participating in the program express a uniqueness of vision, celebrate diversity and advance the craft of filmmaking through the creation of these special works. To see the full range of projects that are part of our program, visit our Sponsored Projects page.
Down Below...
- 4/5/2024
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent News & More
For the perpetually impecunious (see: poor) indie filmmaker, a well-executed short or feature project can often be your best passport to the larger world. Left to our own scant devices, our calendars are unlikely to fill up with myriad jaunts to such exotic locales as Cannes, Venice, Locarno or, erm, Arkansas. But with a piping hot Dcp in hand, you not have not just an excuse to visit such places but an invitation. And few American cities are quite as dreamily summoned in the mind as day-glow Miami. After all: if it’s good enough for LeBron James, it’s good enough for us.
For 41 years, the Miami Film Festival has been showcasing innovative, inclusive work from new and emerging independent creators worldwide. Unsurprisingly, many of said creators are our own beloved Film Independent Fellows. In fact, a whopping 38 Fi Fellows will be in the Magic City next week to show new work,...
For 41 years, the Miami Film Festival has been showcasing innovative, inclusive work from new and emerging independent creators worldwide. Unsurprisingly, many of said creators are our own beloved Film Independent Fellows. In fact, a whopping 38 Fi Fellows will be in the Magic City next week to show new work,...
- 3/28/2024
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent News & More
Katy O’Brian and Kristen Stewart in ‘Love Lies Bleeding’ (Photo Credit: Anna Kooris / A24)
One of the big casualties of the 2020 pandemic was the horror movie Saint Maud, whose release was delayed by almost a full year. Despite its delay, the film was still a hit with fans, and many have been waiting even more patiently to see what writer/director Rose Glass would do next. That wait is over. Her newest movie, Love Lies Bleeding, is here.
Set in New Mexico in the 1980s, Love Lies Bleeding is about a young woman named Lou (Spencer’s Kristen Stewart) who befriends a female bodybuilder named Jackie (Katy O’Brian from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) who is passing through town on her way to a competition in Las Vegas. The pair strikes up a relationship that leads them to mischief, mayhem, and murder involving Lou’s father (Ed Harris from...
One of the big casualties of the 2020 pandemic was the horror movie Saint Maud, whose release was delayed by almost a full year. Despite its delay, the film was still a hit with fans, and many have been waiting even more patiently to see what writer/director Rose Glass would do next. That wait is over. Her newest movie, Love Lies Bleeding, is here.
Set in New Mexico in the 1980s, Love Lies Bleeding is about a young woman named Lou (Spencer’s Kristen Stewart) who befriends a female bodybuilder named Jackie (Katy O’Brian from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) who is passing through town on her way to a competition in Las Vegas. The pair strikes up a relationship that leads them to mischief, mayhem, and murder involving Lou’s father (Ed Harris from...
- 3/14/2024
- by James Jay Edwards
- Showbiz Junkies
A remake of the 1991 Christina Applegate cult classic Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead (watch it Here) is coming our way as a BET+ Original Film – and Iconic Events Releasing has announced that they will be giving the film a theatrical release on April 12th. Along with this announcement comes the unveiling of a teaser trailer for the new Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, and you can check it out in the embed above. If you like what you see, head over to DontTellMomFilm.com to purchase tickets to see the movie on the big screen!
Directed by Wade Allain-Marcus (French Dirty) from a script by Emmy-nominated writer Chuck Hayward, whose credits include Ted Lasso and WandaVision, this remake has the following synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Tanya Crandell can’t wait to spend the summer living it up with her friends in Spain before heading to Howard University in the fall.
Directed by Wade Allain-Marcus (French Dirty) from a script by Emmy-nominated writer Chuck Hayward, whose credits include Ted Lasso and WandaVision, this remake has the following synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Tanya Crandell can’t wait to spend the summer living it up with her friends in Spain before heading to Howard University in the fall.
- 2/28/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
While director Ethan Coen’s new film – Drive-Away Dolls – may be less like his previous endeavors with his brother and more of a singular filmic vision, it still proves to be quite entertaining and satisfying work that should not disappoint fans of his filmography.
The story follows friends Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) as they hit the road to Tallahassee. But things quickly go awry – as they typically do during a cinematic road trip (especially one directed by Ethan Coen) – and the two girls get caught up in a game of cat and mouse with a pair of seemingly inept criminals who are dead set on getting their hands on a mysterious briefcase the girls have come into possession of. This briefcase previously belonged to a character referred to only as the Collector (Pedro Pascal), whose disappearance has set the whole of the film in motion. Once the...
The story follows friends Jamie (Margaret Qualley) and Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) as they hit the road to Tallahassee. But things quickly go awry – as they typically do during a cinematic road trip (especially one directed by Ethan Coen) – and the two girls get caught up in a game of cat and mouse with a pair of seemingly inept criminals who are dead set on getting their hands on a mysterious briefcase the girls have come into possession of. This briefcase previously belonged to a character referred to only as the Collector (Pedro Pascal), whose disappearance has set the whole of the film in motion. Once the...
- 2/23/2024
- by Mike Tyrkus
- CinemaNerdz
“Good Times,” which celebrates its 50th anniversary on Feb. 8, suffered from an identity crisis during its six-season run on CBS. So much so, the lead actors — Esther Rolle and John Amos — would leave the popular second spinoff of ‘All in the Family”(Rolle would eventually return) because the sitcom changed focus.
Norman Lear ruled the airwaves in the 1970s. He blew up the conception of a family sitcom in 1971 with the CBS sitcom “All in the Family” which focused on a working class family from Queen lead by the bigoted patriarch Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor). During the first season, Bea Arthur guest starred as Maude, Edith Bunker’s (Jean Stapleton) favorite cousin who was the antithesis of Archie-outspoken, much married, ultra-liberal.
And after a second appearance on “All in the Family,” Arthur got her own series “Maude” in the fall of 1972. The breakout performer on that series was Esther...
Norman Lear ruled the airwaves in the 1970s. He blew up the conception of a family sitcom in 1971 with the CBS sitcom “All in the Family” which focused on a working class family from Queen lead by the bigoted patriarch Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor). During the first season, Bea Arthur guest starred as Maude, Edith Bunker’s (Jean Stapleton) favorite cousin who was the antithesis of Archie-outspoken, much married, ultra-liberal.
And after a second appearance on “All in the Family,” Arthur got her own series “Maude” in the fall of 1972. The breakout performer on that series was Esther...
- 2/8/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Maggie Rogers has announced her third album, Don’t Forget Me, which will be released on April 12th via Capitol Records. The title track, which doubles as the lead single, is out today alongside a music video filmed in Super 8. Check it out below.
Rogers wrote Don’t Forget Me over the course of five days in late 2022, early 2023. Her sole collaborator on the project was Ian Fitchuk, who co-wrote eight of the album’s 10 songs and also played the majority of the instruments and served as its co-producer alongside Rogers.
“I wanted to make an album that sounded like a Sunday afternoon,” Rogers said in a note accompanying today’s announcement. “Worn in denim. A drive in your favorite car. No make up, but the right amount of lipstick. Something classic. The mohair throw and bottle of Whiskey in Joan Didion’s motel room. An old corvette. Vintage,...
Rogers wrote Don’t Forget Me over the course of five days in late 2022, early 2023. Her sole collaborator on the project was Ian Fitchuk, who co-wrote eight of the album’s 10 songs and also played the majority of the instruments and served as its co-producer alongside Rogers.
“I wanted to make an album that sounded like a Sunday afternoon,” Rogers said in a note accompanying today’s announcement. “Worn in denim. A drive in your favorite car. No make up, but the right amount of lipstick. Something classic. The mohair throw and bottle of Whiskey in Joan Didion’s motel room. An old corvette. Vintage,...
- 2/8/2024
- by Scoop Harrison
- Consequence - Music
Even in this strange era of action films where characters played by Bob Odenkirk and Allison Janney have run around head-shotting hardened criminals with expert finesse, it’s safe to assume that nobody had money on 94-year-old June Squibb as the first great new action star of 2024. With Josh Margolin’s feature-length directorial debut, Thelma, the eponymous character, physically fragile but spiritually unbroken, has no intention of going quietly into that good night, and Squibb imbues her with a spark and presence that’s wholly unique to the actor, and on a very unlikely and unexpected quest for revenge.
Even compared to the motivations of Thelma’s often steely-eyed contemporaries in modern action cinema, though, not since the first John Wick have the stakes been so intimate and specific for a revenge flick. In Thelma’s case, a phone scammer manages to dupe her into sending $10,000 to bail her slacker grandson,...
Even compared to the motivations of Thelma’s often steely-eyed contemporaries in modern action cinema, though, not since the first John Wick have the stakes been so intimate and specific for a revenge flick. In Thelma’s case, a phone scammer manages to dupe her into sending $10,000 to bail her slacker grandson,...
- 2/5/2024
- by Justin Clark
- Slant Magazine
Magnolia Pictures has acquired North American rights to Sundance action comedy Thelma, which stars June Squibb as a grandmother who sets out to reclaim what was taken from her.
‘Thelma’: Sundance Review
Josh Margolin’s film debuted in Premieres on the opening day in Park City and immediately sparked interest from buyers. Magnolia prevailed in what it called a competitive situation with multiple offers.
Fred Hechinger, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, and Malcolm McDowell round out the key cast on Thelma, which playfully imbues the film with a Mission: Impossible vibe as the titular nonagenarian falls for a...
‘Thelma’: Sundance Review
Josh Margolin’s film debuted in Premieres on the opening day in Park City and immediately sparked interest from buyers. Magnolia prevailed in what it called a competitive situation with multiple offers.
Fred Hechinger, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, and Malcolm McDowell round out the key cast on Thelma, which playfully imbues the film with a Mission: Impossible vibe as the titular nonagenarian falls for a...
- 1/30/2024
- ScreenDaily
“Thelma,” an adventure-comedy starring June Squibb, has sold to Magnolia Pictures out of Sundance.
Directed by Josh Margolin, the film follows a grandmother who embarks on a quest to recoup her money after she loses $10,000 in a phone scam. “Thelma,” which cheekily riffs on “Mission: Impossible,” also stars “White Lotus” breakout Fred Hechinger, the late Richard Roundtree (in his final screen performace), Parker Posey, Clark Gregg and Malcolm McDowell. The film is loosely based on an event that happened to Margolin’s own grandma, the 103-year-old Thelma Post.
“Tom Cruise jumping out of a plane is as dangerous as my grandma getting onto a bed,” Margolin told Variety ahead of the film’s Sundance premiere. “I wanted to treat Thelma’s mission with the sincerity and stakes that you would Ethan Hunt globe-trotting to track down the bad guy.”
“Thelma” marks the first leading film role of Squibb’s career.
Directed by Josh Margolin, the film follows a grandmother who embarks on a quest to recoup her money after she loses $10,000 in a phone scam. “Thelma,” which cheekily riffs on “Mission: Impossible,” also stars “White Lotus” breakout Fred Hechinger, the late Richard Roundtree (in his final screen performace), Parker Posey, Clark Gregg and Malcolm McDowell. The film is loosely based on an event that happened to Margolin’s own grandma, the 103-year-old Thelma Post.
“Tom Cruise jumping out of a plane is as dangerous as my grandma getting onto a bed,” Margolin told Variety ahead of the film’s Sundance premiere. “I wanted to treat Thelma’s mission with the sincerity and stakes that you would Ethan Hunt globe-trotting to track down the bad guy.”
“Thelma” marks the first leading film role of Squibb’s career.
- 1/30/2024
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Following its breakout as one of the more highly discussed titles of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, nonagenarian action comedy Thelma, starring Oscar nominee June Squibb (Nebraska) in her first leading role, has been snapped up for North American distribution by Magnolia Pictures.
The deal came together following a competitive situation with multiple offers. Pic is slated for a wide theatrical release at a date still to be announced.
Marking the feature directorial debut of Josh Margolin, who directed from his own script, Thelma stars Squibb as a feisty 93-year-old grandmother who gets conned by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson (Fred Hechinger). In the aftermath, she sets out on a treacherous quest across Los Angeles, accompanied by an aging friend (Richard Roundtree) and his motorized scooter, to reclaim what was taken from her. The film features the final performance of Shaft icon Roundtree and co-stars Parker Posey, Clark Gregg,...
The deal came together following a competitive situation with multiple offers. Pic is slated for a wide theatrical release at a date still to be announced.
Marking the feature directorial debut of Josh Margolin, who directed from his own script, Thelma stars Squibb as a feisty 93-year-old grandmother who gets conned by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson (Fred Hechinger). In the aftermath, she sets out on a treacherous quest across Los Angeles, accompanied by an aging friend (Richard Roundtree) and his motorized scooter, to reclaim what was taken from her. The film features the final performance of Shaft icon Roundtree and co-stars Parker Posey, Clark Gregg,...
- 1/30/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Plot: When a ninety-four-year-old grandmother is ripped off by phone scammers for $10k, she goes on a mission to get her money back.
Review: Watching Thelma is a bittersweet experience. While led by the always delightful June Squibb, the film co-stars the late Richard Roundtree in his meatiest role in years. Between this and the recent Jane Fonda movie Moving On, Roundtree was on the verge of the comeback that long-eluded him, only for him to die suddenly at 81 in the fall. It’s a shame because the former Shaft star is a delight in this low-key caper flick.
It offers a long overdue leading role to the great June Squibb. At ninety-four, the actress has been in high demand in recent years, seemingly still sharp as a tack. In Thelma, she plays the title role, being a doting Grandmother pushing back at the notion that she’s too old to live independently.
Review: Watching Thelma is a bittersweet experience. While led by the always delightful June Squibb, the film co-stars the late Richard Roundtree in his meatiest role in years. Between this and the recent Jane Fonda movie Moving On, Roundtree was on the verge of the comeback that long-eluded him, only for him to die suddenly at 81 in the fall. It’s a shame because the former Shaft star is a delight in this low-key caper flick.
It offers a long overdue leading role to the great June Squibb. At ninety-four, the actress has been in high demand in recent years, seemingly still sharp as a tack. In Thelma, she plays the title role, being a doting Grandmother pushing back at the notion that she’s too old to live independently.
- 1/30/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Sundance Film Festival ran from January 18-28 and, after a sluggish start, there were deals (click here for the latest), celebrity sightings, and a protest.
Christopher Nolan turned up to collect an honourary award at the festival’s opening night gala fundraiser and called the occasion a “full circle moment” 23 years after premeiring his breakout thriller Memento there back in 2001.
Kristen Stewart also attended the gala and starred in two films this year, while celebrity guests included Robert Downey Jr., Will Ferrell, and Malia Obama, who managed to attend somewhat under the radar with her short film The Heart credited to Malia Ann.
Christopher Nolan turned up to collect an honourary award at the festival’s opening night gala fundraiser and called the occasion a “full circle moment” 23 years after premeiring his breakout thriller Memento there back in 2001.
Kristen Stewart also attended the gala and starred in two films this year, while celebrity guests included Robert Downey Jr., Will Ferrell, and Malia Obama, who managed to attend somewhat under the radar with her short film The Heart credited to Malia Ann.
- 1/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
Thelma is a charming little film. One that might make moviegoers want to call or hug their grandmothers.
The dilemma of aging is inescapable. But Thelma’s another film that shows the resilience and humor of getting to the golden years. In a sense, it has commonalities with the Grumpy Old Men films. Only here, it’s a 93-year-old woman using the minimal skills she has left to solve a mystery.
To put it mildly, if watching a suspenseful chase on scooters was on the cinematic bucket list, Thelma is the movie to watch.
Written and directed by Josh Margolin, Thelma revolves around a 93-year-old woman named Thelma, who is still quite agile for her age. Thelma is quite fond of her grandson Danny (played by Fred Hechinger), who teaches her how to use a computer at the beginning of the movie.
Despite her stability, Thelma still needs to use a LifeAlert device.
The dilemma of aging is inescapable. But Thelma’s another film that shows the resilience and humor of getting to the golden years. In a sense, it has commonalities with the Grumpy Old Men films. Only here, it’s a 93-year-old woman using the minimal skills she has left to solve a mystery.
To put it mildly, if watching a suspenseful chase on scooters was on the cinematic bucket list, Thelma is the movie to watch.
Written and directed by Josh Margolin, Thelma revolves around a 93-year-old woman named Thelma, who is still quite agile for her age. Thelma is quite fond of her grandson Danny (played by Fred Hechinger), who teaches her how to use a computer at the beginning of the movie.
Despite her stability, Thelma still needs to use a LifeAlert device.
- 1/25/2024
- by John Dotson
- Monsters and Critics
Stars: June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Parker Posey, Richard Roundtree, Clark Gregg, Malcolm McDowell, Quinn Beswick, Hilda Boulware, Nicole Byer | Written and Directed by Josh Margolin
93-year-old Thelma (Squibb) falls prey to a phone scam claiming to be her grandson Danny (Fred Hechinger), threatening a harsh but phony prison sentence if she doesn’t forward $10,000. Cottoning on after the fact – after having recently watched Mission: Impossible – Thelma sets off on the journey of a lifetime in order to pull off the ultimate heist: getting her own back on those who conned her.
Sadly, we’ve all been there – a grandparent calling us in a panic because they’ve received a spam email, can’t get rid of a pop-up advert during their daily scrolling, or worse, falling victim to a nasty phone scam. It’s exactly the situation that the titular Thelma finds herself in, idly plodding along in her daily...
93-year-old Thelma (Squibb) falls prey to a phone scam claiming to be her grandson Danny (Fred Hechinger), threatening a harsh but phony prison sentence if she doesn’t forward $10,000. Cottoning on after the fact – after having recently watched Mission: Impossible – Thelma sets off on the journey of a lifetime in order to pull off the ultimate heist: getting her own back on those who conned her.
Sadly, we’ve all been there – a grandparent calling us in a panic because they’ve received a spam email, can’t get rid of a pop-up advert during their daily scrolling, or worse, falling victim to a nasty phone scam. It’s exactly the situation that the titular Thelma finds herself in, idly plodding along in her daily...
- 1/25/2024
- by Jasmine Valentine
- Nerdly
In an exclusive uInterview, veteran actress June Squibb, 94, discusses her new film, Thelma, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival last week.
Thelma follows an aging widow of the same name who spends most of her time tending to her 20-something grandson, Daniel, played by Fred Hechinger (The White Lotus). When she receives a call from a scammer pretending to be Daniel, Thelma sends $10,000 in cash to a nearby P.O. box and embarks on an action-packed journey to retrieve her money.
Following the premiere of the film, Squibb received praise for her Tom Cruise-like abilities and shared that she did most of her own stunts. The film marked Squibb’s first leading role in the medium.
“It’s lovely that it’s happened, it’s happening late in my life but I am still new to a lot of people. I don’t think much about it if...
Thelma follows an aging widow of the same name who spends most of her time tending to her 20-something grandson, Daniel, played by Fred Hechinger (The White Lotus). When she receives a call from a scammer pretending to be Daniel, Thelma sends $10,000 in cash to a nearby P.O. box and embarks on an action-packed journey to retrieve her money.
Following the premiere of the film, Squibb received praise for her Tom Cruise-like abilities and shared that she did most of her own stunts. The film marked Squibb’s first leading role in the medium.
“It’s lovely that it’s happened, it’s happening late in my life but I am still new to a lot of people. I don’t think much about it if...
- 1/25/2024
- by Ava Lombardi
- Uinterview
Sundance 2024 will launch its virtual option this week for badgeholders and individuals who want to buy individual tickets.
It’s a wonderful option for those unable to make the long trip to Utah.
Last year’s Sundance had many great offerings virtually.
Films such as Sometimes I Think About Dying, and Kim’s Video were highlights from the 2023 virtual catalog.
This year has a lot of promising entries, and some have already generated tremendous buzz. For example, Steven Yeun and Kristen Stewart have a movie getting rave reviews.
While the virtual option opens for press tomorrow, movie lovers can dig into the Sundance 2024 line-up beginning Thursday.
Here is a list of films offered online possibly worth streaming this week at Sundance.
Thelma Still image from Thelma. Pic credit: Courtesy of Sundance/David Bolen.
Action movies and senior citizens — what more could a moviegoer want from a Sundance Film Festival entry?...
It’s a wonderful option for those unable to make the long trip to Utah.
Last year’s Sundance had many great offerings virtually.
Films such as Sometimes I Think About Dying, and Kim’s Video were highlights from the 2023 virtual catalog.
This year has a lot of promising entries, and some have already generated tremendous buzz. For example, Steven Yeun and Kristen Stewart have a movie getting rave reviews.
While the virtual option opens for press tomorrow, movie lovers can dig into the Sundance 2024 line-up beginning Thursday.
Here is a list of films offered online possibly worth streaming this week at Sundance.
Thelma Still image from Thelma. Pic credit: Courtesy of Sundance/David Bolen.
Action movies and senior citizens — what more could a moviegoer want from a Sundance Film Festival entry?...
- 1/24/2024
- by John Dotson
- Monsters and Critics
“Everything.”
That’s how veteran producer and PGA president Stephanie Allain kicked off a special panel about the ins and outs of the Sundance Film Festival and all things producing, presented by Hyundai. Taking place on Jan. 19 inside The Hollywood Reporter’s studio (sponsored by Heineken, Hyundai, Bogner and Sixt), Allain was explaining how best to describe a producer’s job and the all-encompassing duties they shoulder.
“What don’t we do? The producer is the uber champion of the film, and what that means is when I have a project, no one gets in that circle unless they love the movie, they understand the movie, they can contribute 150 percent to the movie,” said the Hollywood veteran, who returned to Sundance for the world premiere of Titus Kaphar’s Exhibiting Forgiveness, starring Andre Holland and Andra Day. “We work on the script, we work on casting. We go by the costume department,...
That’s how veteran producer and PGA president Stephanie Allain kicked off a special panel about the ins and outs of the Sundance Film Festival and all things producing, presented by Hyundai. Taking place on Jan. 19 inside The Hollywood Reporter’s studio (sponsored by Heineken, Hyundai, Bogner and Sixt), Allain was explaining how best to describe a producer’s job and the all-encompassing duties they shoulder.
“What don’t we do? The producer is the uber champion of the film, and what that means is when I have a project, no one gets in that circle unless they love the movie, they understand the movie, they can contribute 150 percent to the movie,” said the Hollywood veteran, who returned to Sundance for the world premiere of Titus Kaphar’s Exhibiting Forgiveness, starring Andre Holland and Andra Day. “We work on the script, we work on casting. We go by the costume department,...
- 1/23/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix has scored the biggest on-site deal at Sundance so far, pouncing on the horror It’s What’s Inside in a reported $17m deal.
Greg Jardin’s Midnight selection premiered on Friday and centres on a pre-wedding party that goes horrifically wrong when a former friend of the group arrives bearing a suitcase.
William Rosenfeld, Kate Andrews, Jason Baum and Raúl Domingo produced the film, which CAA Media Finance represented for sales and had been in talks with buyers since Friday’s world premiere.
The ensemble cast features Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey, and Devon Terrell, among others.
It’s What’s Inside...
Greg Jardin’s Midnight selection premiered on Friday and centres on a pre-wedding party that goes horrifically wrong when a former friend of the group arrives bearing a suitcase.
William Rosenfeld, Kate Andrews, Jason Baum and Raúl Domingo produced the film, which CAA Media Finance represented for sales and had been in talks with buyers since Friday’s world premiere.
The ensemble cast features Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey, and Devon Terrell, among others.
It’s What’s Inside...
- 1/22/2024
- ScreenDaily
While fans used to play six degrees of Kevin Bacon at the Sundance Film Festival (or anywhere for that matter), in 2024, it’s all about connecting the dots of alumni from Mike White’s The White Lotus. The stars of the Emmy Award-winning vacation anthology series have returned to the mainland and clocked back in on a flurry of independent films. Below is a roundup of all the White Lotus stars making the Park City rounds this year and why they’re here.
Aubrey Plaza
The actress and producer returns to the festival on the heels of a critically acclaimed turn in Emily the Criminal to star in Megan Park’s comedy My Old Ass opposite Maisy Stella, Maddie Ziegler, Kerrice Brooks and Percy Hynes White. The plot follows bright-yet-irreverent Elliott (Stella) as she comes face-to-face with her older self (Plaza) during a mushroom trip. The encounter spurs a funny...
Aubrey Plaza
The actress and producer returns to the festival on the heels of a critically acclaimed turn in Emily the Criminal to star in Megan Park’s comedy My Old Ass opposite Maisy Stella, Maddie Ziegler, Kerrice Brooks and Percy Hynes White. The plot follows bright-yet-irreverent Elliott (Stella) as she comes face-to-face with her older self (Plaza) during a mushroom trip. The encounter spurs a funny...
- 1/20/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This isn’t a meteorology blog. We’re under no obligation to inform you that–despite a historically slow ski season start–the snow now falling across Northern Utah’s Wasatch Valley is voluminous and omnipresent. All the better excuse for sequestering oneself inside the weatherproofed walls of Park City’s myriad Sundance screening venues. And whether you’re a Sundance programmer, filmmaker, critic, industry wonk or civilian attendee, one thing is certain: there are currently a lot of granola bars getting smushed in a lot of people’s pockets.
Of course, our favorite among these snowblind wretches are our own Film Independent Fellows proudly debuting their new works at the festival. And by “Fellows” here we of course mean filmmakers who have been directly supported by Film Independent’s Lab Programs, Project Involve, Fast Track and Fiscal Sponsorship programs, as well as Emerging Filmmaker Award winners and grant recipients.
Of course, our favorite among these snowblind wretches are our own Film Independent Fellows proudly debuting their new works at the festival. And by “Fellows” here we of course mean filmmakers who have been directly supported by Film Independent’s Lab Programs, Project Involve, Fast Track and Fiscal Sponsorship programs, as well as Emerging Filmmaker Award winners and grant recipients.
- 1/20/2024
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent News & More
At the beginning of Thelma––a loveable, low-stakes joyride from director Josh Margolin––the movie’s eponymous 93-year-old grandmother sits on the couch with her grandson Daniel and marvels at Tom Cruise. They’re watching a recent Mission: Impossible sequel on her tiny television and can’t fathom Cruise’s running and jumping daredevil-ism at his weathered age. Thelma may live alone, need hearing aids, play solitaire, have trouble typing out an email, and get flustered when pop-up ads surprise her online. But much like America’s most extreme action star, she knows she’s still got it, too.
Thelma is played by June Squibb and it’s clear she’s having a ball leading her first movie. Since making a name for herself with an Oscar nomination in Alexander Payne’s Nebraska, the nonagenarian has spent the last decade flexing her comedic chops in small roles and cameos, eating...
Thelma is played by June Squibb and it’s clear she’s having a ball leading her first movie. Since making a name for herself with an Oscar nomination in Alexander Payne’s Nebraska, the nonagenarian has spent the last decade flexing her comedic chops in small roles and cameos, eating...
- 1/20/2024
- by Jake Kring-Schreifels
- The Film Stage
After years acting and making short-form content and collaborating on 2018 LA Film Festival entry Deep Murder, Los Angeles native Josh Margolin’s feature directorial debut Thelma has premiered at Sundance where it received a rousing reception.
June Squibb, Oscar-nominated in Nebraska and now 94, stars in her first lead role as a grandmother who gets scammed and stops at nothing to take back what belongs to her, employing an impressive array of nonagenarian spycraft along the way.
Margolin was inspired to make the Sundance Premieres selection after his own grandmother Thelma nearly fell for a scam. The action comedy shot in...
June Squibb, Oscar-nominated in Nebraska and now 94, stars in her first lead role as a grandmother who gets scammed and stops at nothing to take back what belongs to her, employing an impressive array of nonagenarian spycraft along the way.
Margolin was inspired to make the Sundance Premieres selection after his own grandmother Thelma nearly fell for a scam. The action comedy shot in...
- 1/20/2024
- ScreenDaily
‘Thelma’ director Josh Margolin on “ode” to his grandmother, what June Squibb told Richard Roundtree
After years acting and making short-form content and collaborating on 2018 LA Film Festival entry Deep Murder, Los Angeles native Josh Margolin’s feature directorial debut Thelma has premiered at Sundance where it received a rousing reception.
June Squibb, Oscar-nominated in Nebraska and now 94, stars in her first lead role as a grandmother who gets scammed and stops at nothing to take back what belongs to her, employing an impressive array of nonagenarian spycraft along the way.
Margolin was inspired to make the Sundance Premieres selection after his own grandmother Thelma nearly fell for a scam. The action comedy shot in...
June Squibb, Oscar-nominated in Nebraska and now 94, stars in her first lead role as a grandmother who gets scammed and stops at nothing to take back what belongs to her, employing an impressive array of nonagenarian spycraft along the way.
Margolin was inspired to make the Sundance Premieres selection after his own grandmother Thelma nearly fell for a scam. The action comedy shot in...
- 1/20/2024
- ScreenDaily
Swiss film producers and financiers Karl Spoerri and Viviana Vezzani have been Sundance regulars for more than 15 years, but this edition is special.
The pair, who were driving forces behind the Zurich Film Festival (Zff) up until 2019, are in Park City this year with Thelma, which is the first feature from their new company Zurich Avenue to make it into Sundance.
Josh Margolin’s action-comedy-drama, starring 94-year-old June Squibb as a L.A. grandmother who sets off on a friend’s mobility scooter on a mission to track down an Internet scammer, is proving one of the early hits of the festival.
“On a personal level, it’s very meaningful because Sundance was always a big influence for us at the Zurich Film Festival from the start,” says Vezzani.
“We always loved going as programmers so getting Thelma accepted at Sundance was a dream come true.”
Former Zff co-founder and...
The pair, who were driving forces behind the Zurich Film Festival (Zff) up until 2019, are in Park City this year with Thelma, which is the first feature from their new company Zurich Avenue to make it into Sundance.
Josh Margolin’s action-comedy-drama, starring 94-year-old June Squibb as a L.A. grandmother who sets off on a friend’s mobility scooter on a mission to track down an Internet scammer, is proving one of the early hits of the festival.
“On a personal level, it’s very meaningful because Sundance was always a big influence for us at the Zurich Film Festival from the start,” says Vezzani.
“We always loved going as programmers so getting Thelma accepted at Sundance was a dream come true.”
Former Zff co-founder and...
- 1/20/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Update: By Saturday afternoon up to five buyers were understood to be in serious discussions for Jeff Zimbalist’s documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story.
The film caused a stir ever since it premiered on Thursday night and hails from XYZ Films’ documentary division. Sources reported streamers and at least one theatrical buyer were in pursuit.
Meanwhile interest was understood to be building rapidly following the Saturday premiere of Jesse Eisenberg’s US Dramatic Competition entry A Real Pain.
Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin star as cousins on an emotional tour to see their late grandmother’s home in Poland. WME Independent...
The film caused a stir ever since it premiered on Thursday night and hails from XYZ Films’ documentary division. Sources reported streamers and at least one theatrical buyer were in pursuit.
Meanwhile interest was understood to be building rapidly following the Saturday premiere of Jesse Eisenberg’s US Dramatic Competition entry A Real Pain.
Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin star as cousins on an emotional tour to see their late grandmother’s home in Poland. WME Independent...
- 1/20/2024
- ScreenDaily
Heading into the weekend Skywalkers: A Love Story is gathering momentum at Sundance with multiple buyers circling the documentary following a strong response at Thursday night’s world premiere.
The groundswell of interest comes hot on the heels of two early transactions announced on Friday, with Sony Pictures Classics closing a deal for North America and multiple territories on Rich Peppiatt’s Next entry Kneecap and Netflix taking World Cinema Documentary Competition selection Ibelin by The Painter And The Thief director Benjamin Ree.
XYZ Films executives were on Friday locked in discussions with streamers and more traditional documentary distributors on Jeff Zimbalist’s U.
The groundswell of interest comes hot on the heels of two early transactions announced on Friday, with Sony Pictures Classics closing a deal for North America and multiple territories on Rich Peppiatt’s Next entry Kneecap and Netflix taking World Cinema Documentary Competition selection Ibelin by The Painter And The Thief director Benjamin Ree.
XYZ Films executives were on Friday locked in discussions with streamers and more traditional documentary distributors on Jeff Zimbalist’s U.
- 1/20/2024
- ScreenDaily
“I didn’t expect to get so old,” sighs 93-year-old Thelma Post (June Squibb) in Josh Margolin’s hilarious and unexpectedly poignant mash-up of Point Blank and The Straight Story. Squibb, so good in Nebraska, once again represents for the hip-op generation, bringing wisdom and truth — plus the best waspish comic timing since Maggie Smith in Robert Altman’s Gosford Park — to a comic action-thriller that has fun with the pitfalls of old age but does so with dignity and respect. Appeal should be across the board; indeed, the film would make a great May-December double bill with the 2022 Aubrey Plaza vehicle Emily the Criminal, a similar study of an ordinary woman sucked into a shady underworld.
Margolin lays out all the film’s key elements with refreshing speed, opening with 24-year-old Daniel (Fred Hechinger) patiently helping the recently widowed...
Margolin lays out all the film’s key elements with refreshing speed, opening with 24-year-old Daniel (Fred Hechinger) patiently helping the recently widowed...
- 1/19/2024
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
Nonagenarian actress June Squibb is making her first ever in-person appearance at the Sundance Film Festival this year as the star of Josh Margolin’s comedy-action-drama Thelma about a grandmother who goes after an internet scammer.
“I’ve had films show there before but either I was working or wasn’t that interested in the film,” says 94-year-old Squibb, who was Oscar nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Alexander Payne’s Nebraska in 2013.
In Thelma, she plays a 93-year-old L.A. grandmother, living happily alone and unassisted in her beloved condo in the Valley, whose independence is threatened when she is scammed out of $10,000 by a caller impersonating her grandson.
Initially ashamed and flummoxed by her gullibility, Thelma is inspired to embark on a mission to track down the thief after seeing a newspaper headline celebrating Tom Cruise’s age-defying Mission Impossible career.
No longer in the possession of a...
“I’ve had films show there before but either I was working or wasn’t that interested in the film,” says 94-year-old Squibb, who was Oscar nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Alexander Payne’s Nebraska in 2013.
In Thelma, she plays a 93-year-old L.A. grandmother, living happily alone and unassisted in her beloved condo in the Valley, whose independence is threatened when she is scammed out of $10,000 by a caller impersonating her grandson.
Initially ashamed and flummoxed by her gullibility, Thelma is inspired to embark on a mission to track down the thief after seeing a newspaper headline celebrating Tom Cruise’s age-defying Mission Impossible career.
No longer in the possession of a...
- 1/19/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
If there was ever a perfect role tailor made for the tremendously talented actress June Squibb, this would be it. Most have come to know her in the last few years following her unforgettable appearance in Alexander Payne's Nebraska in 2013. But her acting career goes back decades. Remarkably, this is her first ever lead role in any film, and it's worth the wait. This film is all that I was hoping it might be – a Sundance crowd-pleaser that anyone should be able to enjoy. Thelma is a hilarious, heartfelt, easy-to-watch flick about an elderly woman getting revenge on scammers. It's as simple as that! Though, of course, there is much more going on in it, exploring with great humility everything that comes with growing old, growing frail, and the loneliness that strikes when everyone you knew has passed away. There isn't a moment of this film that isn't enjoyable and wholesome,...
- 1/19/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
“Taking from an elderly person is as bad as stealing from a child,” growls Jason Statham in “The Beekeeper,” reinforcing the image of “helpless” old people in need of defending. (He spends the rest of the movie knocking heads after scammers steal money from his gullible landlady.) With “Thelma,” writer-director Josh Margolin tries out a different approach, casting nonagenarian character actor June Squibb as an unlikely yet satisfying action star. It’s a cute idea, celebrating the willpower and determination of a 93-years-young woman. If audiences are willing to suspend their disbelief for “The Beekeeper,” why not do the same when it’s Squibb on a rampage?
“Thelma” bloomed out of Margolin’s relationship with his own grandmother, and its more endearing dialogue exchanges were directly lifted from things the real-life Thelma says and does. Squibb’s character has a doting — and slightly dopey — grandson of her own, Daniel, who visits regularly,...
“Thelma” bloomed out of Margolin’s relationship with his own grandmother, and its more endearing dialogue exchanges were directly lifted from things the real-life Thelma says and does. Squibb’s character has a doting — and slightly dopey — grandson of her own, Daniel, who visits regularly,...
- 1/19/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
“We’re not what we were.” “There is no good death.” “You want to see what’s going to happen to the ones you love.” Writer/director Josh Margolin squeezes surprisingly funny freshness from the musty themes of aging, death, and lost autonomy in his poignantly written “Thelma,” a seriocomic “Mission Impossible” remix that casts June Squibb as the titular action hero in a slow-moving but still quietly epic revenge flick about elder fraud.
The debut filmmaker’s tribute to his extraordinary grandmother (the story supposedly recounts an actual experience of hers and features a clip of the real Thelma during the credits) almost sounds like the premise of a raunchy Melissa McCarthy romp or gender-swapped “Bad Grandpa” riff. When scam artists mess with the wrong 93-year-old woman — successfully convincing Thelma to mail them $10,000 bail for her grandson Daniel (a pitch-perfect Fred Hechinger), who isn’t in jail at all...
The debut filmmaker’s tribute to his extraordinary grandmother (the story supposedly recounts an actual experience of hers and features a clip of the real Thelma during the credits) almost sounds like the premise of a raunchy Melissa McCarthy romp or gender-swapped “Bad Grandpa” riff. When scam artists mess with the wrong 93-year-old woman — successfully convincing Thelma to mail them $10,000 bail for her grandson Daniel (a pitch-perfect Fred Hechinger), who isn’t in jail at all...
- 1/19/2024
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
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