The Sundance charmer “Thelma,” starring June Squibb and Richard Roundtree, will make its way to theaters June 21, Magnolia Pictures announced Tuesday.
Written and directed by Josh Margolin, the film follows the titular character, played by Squibb, as she attempts to get back a large sum of money lost by her in an telephone scam. With the help of a friend, played by the late Roundtree, Thelma traverses the streets of Los Angeles to get what’s hers. Hot on her trail is her anxious grandson (Fred Hechinger), daughter (Parker Posey) and son-in-law (Clark Gregg).
This marks the first starring role for Squibb who was nominated for an Academy Award in 2014 for Best Supporting Actress for the Alexander Payne-directed feature “Nebraska.”
“Thelma” was acquired by Magnolia back in January in a competitive situation with multiple offers following its Sundance debut. “Brilliantly marrying Magnolia’s love of action, revenge and grandmothers, ‘Thelma’ is totally unique yet universally irresistible,” Magnolia Pictures co-CEOs Eamonn Bowles and Dori Begley said in a statement at the time. “The team at Magnolia is beyond excited to bring Josh Margolin’s thrilling and loving caper to audiences across the country.”
“This has all been a dream come true — to get to make this movie, to premiere it at Sundance, and now to release it in theaters with Magnolia,” Margolin said. “I’ve admired their films for years and feel truly lucky to be partnering with them. We’re so excited to share ‘Thelma’ with everyone!”
The studio has also released a teaser for the film, which you can see above.
In TheWrap’s review of “Thelma” out of Sundance, the movie was called “a totally pure delight that gives June Squibb a much-deserved leading role” with Margolin’s script described as “breezy and sharp in equal measure.”
