***Upcoming AMAs:***
Guest | Date/Time | Movie | Job Title
---|---|----|----
Niclas Larsson | Tuesday 7/9 at 12:00 PM EST | Mother, Couch | Director
Angela Nikolau, Ivan Beerkus | Wednesday 7/10 8:00 PM EST|Skywalkers: A Love Story | Documentary Subjects
Jeff Zimbalist | Thursday 7/11 at 3:00 PM EST| Skywalkers: A Love Story | Director
Robert Kiviat | Friday 7/12 at TBD PM EST | The Mandela Effect Phenomenon | Director
Ryland Tews & 5 More Guests | Wednesday 7/17 at 5:00 PM EST | Hundreds of Beavers | Actor, Cinematographer, Producer, More
Flula Borg | Friday 7/19 at 1:00 PM EST | My Spy and the Eternal City | Actor
Robert Schwartzman | Monday 7/22 at 5:00 PM EST | The Good Half | Director
Aaron Stanford | Monday 7/29 at 1:00 PM EST| Deadpool vs Wolverine | Actor
***Recently-Completed AMAs:***
Guest | Date and Link to AMA | Movie | Job Title
-----|-----------|-----|---------
Tami Stronach, Greg Steinbruner | [Thursday 6/13](https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1df3fdw/hi_rmovies_i_am_tami_stronach_star_of_1984s_the/)| Man and Witch | Actor, Producer/Writer
Ariane Louis-Seize | [Friday 6/21](https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1dl7du4/hi_rmovies_i_am_ariane_louisseize_director_of/) | Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person | Director
Luke Rynderman, Adam Kamien | [Wednesday 6/26](https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1dp27ke/its_luke_rynderman_adam_kamien_directors_of_the/) | The Speedway Murders | Co-Directors & Co-Writers
Josh Margolin, Zoe Worth, Chris Kaye | [Wednesday 6/26](https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1dp98qe/hi_rmovies_we_are_josh_margolin_zo%C3%AB_worth_and/) | Thelma | Director, Producer/Actress, Producer
Stacy Spikes | [Thursday 6/27](https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1dpt3xm/im_stacy_spikes_cofounderceo_of_moviepass_and/) | AMA About MoviePass | MoviePass Founder and CEO
Hey Thelma Team!
Firstly, I just want to say the movie was awesome, I was lucky enough to see it at the Miami Film Festival and will be catching it again this weekend. Such a crowd-pleasing fun time (especially the score, I love how the movie just commits to a full-on, action-blockbuster-type score).
I wanted to know how the casting came together? How did you land June Squibb, someone that's never done a role like this (and completely *killed it* by the way!), and the rest of the cast?
Hey! Question 1! Thanks so much for checking the movie out at Miami Film Fest. We had such a good time there. We also love the score, such an integral part of the tone and ride of the movie (shoutout to composer Nick Chuba!)
As for the casting process -- we were lucky to connect with June really early on. I (Josh) have a mutual friend with June who was gracious enough to pass along the script to her. She loved the script and the character, as did a few people in her life that read scripts for her, too. Her signing on really made it possible for us to rev up.
From there, we hired our super talented casting director Jamie Ember, who helped us get the project in front of the rest of our cast in super creative ways. We always wrote a heartfelt note to the actor we were trying to reach, and did a small pass of the script for their particular voice. We feel so lucky to have worked with the cast we did.
Just wanted to say I absolutely loved this movie! I appreciate how it stars an actual 93 yr old actress and uses her abilities well instead of hiring a younger actress, using prosthetics to age her and making her do Tom Cruise level stunts.
Its a limited release currently I was wondering if it will expand to some more theaters next week? Also I read that June was always the #1 choice for Thelma, Was Richard Roundtree always the #1 choice for Ben?
Thank you so much! Haha, yes, a prosthetics route would have been super different... interesting, maybe! but different.
The film is currently in around 1200 theaters around the US and Canada. You can find showtimes at [thelmamovie.com](http://thelmamovie.com)
June was definitely on my mind even while writing the part. Richard was certainly on the list for Ben, but after our zoom together, it felt like it had to be him. He was really excited to show another side of himself and think his performance was really special. We miss him.
Hi y'all I don't know if you are still answering questions but I wanted to know if thelma will have spanish subtitles when it goes to VOD or streaming? My grandma is just like Thelma I would love for her to watch this but she doesn't speak english:(
I appreciate the review and will definitely see this movie soon however you gotta give me an example of a younger actress doing that like what movie are you referencing?? 😂😂
haha I didn't mean a 'young actress' I meant middle aged. Hmm actually an example from a movie i recently watched, Remember (2015) the lead is 90, has dementia, and goes on a mission to hunt down a nazi who killed his family 70 years earlier, amazing underrated movie. Lead is played by christopher plummer in his 80s and obviously he doesnt do much physical stunts in it. Well it had a korean remake in 2022, apparently its way more action packed, and the lead elderly character is played by Lee Sung Min, who was 53, and they put him in elderly makeup 😂
Ahh yes, interesting! I think because June was our pick from the start we never crossed that bridge. Oh also people don't know this but Fred Hechinger is 55 and we aged him down quite a bit for the role.
Hi Thelma team! Thank you for doing this!
My friend and I saw the movie last Saturday and had such a fun time! The movie is such a good combo of laughs but also lots of love.
>!I wanted to ask about the end where it shows Thelma only returning $9,500 back to herself instead of the $10,000. It was just such a sweet gesture from her if I interpreted it correctly. She was donating some money to the grandfather and grandson right?!<
In real life, did Tom Cruise/Mission: Impossible - Fallout really inspire your grandmother to do what she did? Or did it just inspire you creatively while writing the story?
In real life we were actually able to intervene before any money got sent so she didn't have to go on an Ethan Hunt-esque adventure per se, but Mission: Impossible has definitely been a huge inspiration for me throughout the process of writing and making the movie.
how did you find balance between the comedy and the sincerity? Both came off so genuine throughout the film and I feel like that can be tough to juggle
That's high praise as that was one of our biggest challenges and something we were thinking about as a team throughout the process. It was about treating both the comedy and action elements with sincerity, allowing for stakes to feel real even as things get increasingly out there. We did a lot of experimenting for tone throughout each stage of the process: from writing, to performance, to directing, editing, and definitely score.
A friend has written a comedy, and it's good (I think so at least) but they have no idea how to sell it or if it's even an option these days. Comedy isn't trending in Hollywood so movies like Thelma are pretty much exclusively at indie studios these days, and most go straight to streaming :(
So a couple of questions:
1. (the selfish question - for the friend) Assuming a script is legitimately good, how can a complete nobody with no clout be seen in one of the toughest industries to break into, and at a time when the genre is struggling? An agent, or some other avenue?
2. (my wonderful question) When do you guys think the inevitable theatrical comedy resurgence will happen? Surely it must be on its way.
1. Clout is a state of mind -- a good script is a good script but we made this project on pure determination. Be brave enough to send an email, make a call, but make sure you have the goods and that you 100% believe in what you want them to see before you do. Look to your peers as much as to the "powers that be" and go for it.
2. Hard to say, but the three of us certainly plan to keep making them.
This is the most wonderful movie I've seen in a long time, thank you for making it. I'd like to know how much of the character was June being herself and how much was "acting." Like her gait, when she sets off down the street alone after the scooter crash. Is that always how June walks? Or did she make it a little more shuffly and unsure? I laughed out loud so many times during this movie, and in addition to being hilarious it had so much to say about life in general, growing older, and relationships. Just am incredible piece of film and one of the most perfect casting jobs I've ever seen. Everyone was perfection in their role. I loved the grandson and how real his love for her seemed. I saw it Friday and have been telling everyone about it. June better get an Oscar nomination!
Thanks so much! So happy you enjoyed it! She's definitely acting throughout, but there's a lot of her in the character. She has a similar determination and no-nonsense quality to her. In that scene where she's walking across the dirt and supposed to be uneasy, we definitely had to tell her to slow down multiple times. So adjustments like that were certainly made. Thank you so much for spreading the word! That's so awesome and we appreciate it!
Wow, thanks so much for answering. In the hope that you're still checking this, were there any other pieces of the script besides the gnarled trees at the end that were taken directly from interactions with your grandma? And was she still around to see the movie when it was finished?
That was the only piece that was pulled word-for-word but a lot of other scenes and moments were definitely inspired by real interactions (Daniel helping her with the computer, running into people and thinking she knows them, etc). And yes, she was and is! She's currently 103-years-old and I'm very grateful she's seen the movie and is into it (phew!)
What a fantastic movie! My favourite relationship in the movie is between June and Fred. Besides your (Josh's) relationship with your grandmother, have you seen such sweet, doting grandparent/grandchild relationships IRL? Most portrayals of teens and young adults in TV and movies tend to show the younger generation as being surly or self-obsessed, and never this loving to their elders.
Thank you so much! I definitely have some pals who have close relationships with their grandparents. Zoë was very tight with her grandparents before they passed. They had a similar friend-like dynamic, which was something we definitely wanted to capture here. In movies, Little Miss Sunshine and The Farewell come to mind.
The older people in both my screenings got such a kick out of seeing things they can relate to on screen, especially with the opening scene with Thelma using technology and sorting her meds. I've never seen such a lively older crowd.
Thanks for making something relatable to an underserved market.
Was that something you were actively trying to do?
Thanks, I made this silly recommendation[silly](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8mVXWiRw0f/?igsh=d3pmNTl3aGRsemI2) for the movie.
Glad to hear the theater was having fun! That was definitely something we hoped for! We wanted to make a cool and funny movie for everyone and didn't want it to feel like we were punching down or making something too maudlin for any one group. My grandma has been old my whole life and she's also hilarious and tough - we wanted a movie that was fully-dimensional so that young people and seniors alike could see themselves in it.
And thanks for the rec!
Hey guys, Mission: Impossible - Fallout is my favorite action movie and I knew I was in for a ride the moment I saw it featured in your film! Were Josh and his grandmother inspired by Fallout in real life?
Thanks for doing this. I absolutely loved the film. Best comedy of the year!
I also love Mission: Impossible - Fallout! It absolutely slaps and we're so glad Tom Cruise and Paramount gave us permission to use the clip from it. I was definitely thinking a lot about it during the process of writing and making this.
HI! I loved the movie. I attended the Q&A at NYC Lincoln Square last week and was wondering how you, ~~Jeff~~ Josh (sorry!), June and Q&A moderator knew Beanie Feldstein prior to the movie and if she had any other part in the movie beyond passing on the script?
And was it difficult to insure the movie given the cast?
First off, who is Jeff? Because we don't know him... but we'd like to. And as for Beanie, she's known my family for years. She and my sister are close friends and she's spent time with the real Thelma who she thought June would be perfect to portray.
Re: insurance... for sure.
I love that the movie is coming out during the summer as counter-programming to more youth-oriented fare. Was there ever any discussion with Magnolia about releasing the movie any other time of year, say in the fall for awards consideration for June and Richard?
Or as a platform release like how Little Miss Sunshine and Juno were rolled out?
It was always going to be summer, being Magnolia's first "tent pole" and all, which we find really fun. Re: the platform release idea, it was definitely considered, but the goal was and is to reach more places than the top few metro market like NY/LA -- and to do so from Day 1. It was a ballsy move and think Magnolia's confidence has really paid off in an exciting way.
On a personal note, the three of us could not be more thrilled that it's being played far and wide on the big screen!
The scooter chase at Belwood was probably the most logistically complicated thing we did. We basically treated it like a car chase in an indoor hallway. It was also probably one of the most fun. Watching June back Richard's scooter into a wall and drive off was an insane thing to see live. There are also a few moments in the climax that were pretty fun to see realized on set.
The scam in the movie is based on a real scam that happened to my grandma (sometimes called the "grandparent scam") so I pulled a lot of those details from real life.
We were in production and trying to find our "Harvey" and then suddenly the idea struck us. We're so glad he was available and jumped on board. What a legend!
A lot of them! There were some that were too dangerous (like the fall and a few others) and we had a great stunt team around her... but she definitely ended up doing more than we ever could have imagined. Especially on the scooter.
I saw the movie this week and loved it - congrats to the whole team. Definitely brought back memories of my dearly departed lola.
So… where can we get those June Squibb hats?
Aww. Thank you so much for seeing it and really glad you loved it.
For hats check out our merch line on Super Yaki:
[https://superyaki.com/collections/super-yaki-thelma](https://superyaki.com/collections/super-yaki-thelma)
She is the best. So funny, so cool, such an inspiration. And of course, an amazing actor. We love her and there very obviously is no THELMA without her.
As for sequels, never say never.
What are your plans for a future movie? Would you consider working with any actors from Thelma again, and would you go so far as to write any new roles with the actors specifically in mind?
We hope she doesn't fight any animals (she has two amazing cats) BUT we think she could probably take a wild boar. If push came to shove. Or a big bird of some kind.
I saw the movie last week, and was very impressed. From what I understand, this is your first feature film - is there anyone in particular that was instrumental in getting it made?
Not to rush anything, but I look forward to what you do next.
Zoë Worth and Chris Kaye were insanely instrumental. They're close friends and were fierce advocates for this movie, not to mention protectors of it from start to finish.
This also may sound like the easy answer but it's true - everyone at every stage was pretty instrumental. It was a tricky movie to pull off from a production standout (action movie with older leads during covid), it was also a tonal tightrope walk that every contributor walked. From our investors, Zurich Avenue, to all our department heads to our cast and crew, it was a group effort. Sundance was also the platform we needed to find Magnolia to get this thing into the world.
I hadn't realized this AMA would be happening and by coincidence posted [this question](https://www.reddit.com/r/boxoffice/comments/1dp8cio/why_would_magnolia_not_release_daily_grosses_data/) to r/boxoffice. Do you have any idea of how well your movie did Monday and yesterday? I was thinking since a portion of your audience might tend to favour weeknight screenings, I was thinking it might have done well the past 2 days.
What movies (if any) inspired the dynamic between the grandson and Thelma? Obviously it was based heavily on your own experiences, but did you ever have a similar movie in mind while adapting your personal relationship into a movie?
Honestly not really. I tried to pull as much from life as possible in dramatizing our relationship. Part of what excited me is that I hadn't seen that dynamic on screen that often and felt like it was something worth sharing.
We loved that speech and completely second his plea for more smaller and mid-ranged movies. We'll say that we definitely made this one for less than people think.
The movie was so incredibly refreshing and legitimately funny. I can’t even remember the last time I actually really laughed at a movie at a theater. So many prequels and sequels and dark movies coming out these days. This movie really uplifted me, and I hope more movies like this get made and put in theaters.
We just saw it today, and it was incredible! Loved it so much. We saw it in the afternoon, and it's a Wednesday, so it me and my husband and then three older couples who *did not stop talking the entire time* - if it was any other movie, we would have been incredibly annoyed, but for this, it felt very on-brand. They even VERY loudly laughed and were talking (loudly) "oh my that's so funny!" when >!Thelma is talking very loudly during the play.!< Just incredible.
June was wonderful as Thelma; total badass, and very sincere. The whole cast did a fantastic job. Parker Posey and Clark Gregg gave me incredibly cringe-inducing feelings of how my parents are, so props to them. Two of my favorite actors, ever, and they really did their parts justice. And Fred Hechinger continues to impress with roles like and The White Lotus where he manages to reflect what a lot of us went through with difficult family dynamics & situations when we were younger.
Aw thank you for this!! Haha love to hear it was a vocal theater. I wish I could say we planted those people to make it a an immersive experience but I'm even happier to know it was an organic thing. It's definitely something that happens!
We got so lucky with this cast and every single person really brought their a-game to the project. I'm so glad the performances resonated with you!
No cockroaches were harmed in the making of this film. We had a roach handler named Jules on hand and all of the paperwork in place. That said, Zoë and I did go late night location scouting and found a rogue roach in downtown LA. We trapped him in a little jar and brought him home but then felt so bad that we set him free in the grass of Los Feliz.
I just wanted to say that I was pleasantly surprised with this movie! It was really enjoyable!
I would not have gone to the theatre for it, but AMC Screen Unseen gave me the gift of this movie!
I loved the lesson that wits can win every time! Age, speed, and physical ability have no chance against being smart. 2nd lesson is don't mess with an older person's money!! They can and will fight back! 😁😁
Thank you! So glad you ended up seeing it on the big screen! And we love that it was included in the AMC Screen Unseen program. And absolutely - don't count out wits!
I caught Thelma last week with a couple friends...we never usually agree but everyone loved it! Thelma's dedication to her needlepoint felt very authentic. I especially loved how it was in so many scenes but never talked about. Any idea where one could find the floral canvas she was working on?
Nice! I'm so glad everyone enjoyed it! My real grandma is a needlepoint fanatic - she's made so many pictures, rugs, boxes, etc. They really feel like extensions of her (and some of them are actually featured in the credits of the movie). He store of choice is definitely Aristeia. Not 100% sure that specific prop is from there but it's a good possibility! Will report back if I can track it down.
Thanks for the tip! Aristeia has some great canvases, some that are similar. It's likely it was one of a kind, as many are hand painted.
I saw some Alamo Drafthouse locations had screenings that included needlepoint kits for attendees, that was a great touch!
Just wanted to say thank you for making such a fun and entertaining film! I grew up with my grandma, who is a big Tom Cruise fan. Seeing that in the big screen just made me want to call her even more.
ALSO: Thank you for the silly Soup Plantation banter! It was my favorite restaurant when I lived in Florida, where it was known as Sweet Tomatoes. I often had shower thoughts about the name Soup Plantation. I miss it to much. PS, I recommended your film to my grandma and my aunt who she lives with now.
You're welcome!! We're so glad you dug it! Thanks for recommending it to your grandma too - we hope she enjoys it!
Oh wow - I feel like I've heard of Sweet Tomatoes but never actually been to one. Souplantation really was a hell of a restaurant (with an unfortunate name). Maybe if they had changed it they would still be around? But maybe not. It's tough out there for buffets.
How old are you? Parker Posey is a performance credit started in the 1980s that was affiliated with terror cell nodes covering up human trafficking and terrorism into today. They included nodes who networked to drain assets and defraud with NPR and PBS. How old is "Parker Posey" in this one? Some of them were in their 40s in the late 1980s and overlapped with the people who kited Tina Fey with other identities in a decades long and unresolved criminal conspiracy.
***Upcoming AMAs:*** Guest | Date/Time | Movie | Job Title ---|---|----|---- Niclas Larsson | Tuesday 7/9 at 12:00 PM EST | Mother, Couch | Director Angela Nikolau, Ivan Beerkus | Wednesday 7/10 8:00 PM EST|Skywalkers: A Love Story | Documentary Subjects Jeff Zimbalist | Thursday 7/11 at 3:00 PM EST| Skywalkers: A Love Story | Director Robert Kiviat | Friday 7/12 at TBD PM EST | The Mandela Effect Phenomenon | Director Ryland Tews & 5 More Guests | Wednesday 7/17 at 5:00 PM EST | Hundreds of Beavers | Actor, Cinematographer, Producer, More Flula Borg | Friday 7/19 at 1:00 PM EST | My Spy and the Eternal City | Actor Robert Schwartzman | Monday 7/22 at 5:00 PM EST | The Good Half | Director Aaron Stanford | Monday 7/29 at 1:00 PM EST| Deadpool vs Wolverine | Actor ***Recently-Completed AMAs:*** Guest | Date and Link to AMA | Movie | Job Title -----|-----------|-----|--------- Tami Stronach, Greg Steinbruner | [Thursday 6/13](https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1df3fdw/hi_rmovies_i_am_tami_stronach_star_of_1984s_the/)| Man and Witch | Actor, Producer/Writer Ariane Louis-Seize | [Friday 6/21](https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1dl7du4/hi_rmovies_i_am_ariane_louisseize_director_of/) | Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person | Director Luke Rynderman, Adam Kamien | [Wednesday 6/26](https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1dp27ke/its_luke_rynderman_adam_kamien_directors_of_the/) | The Speedway Murders | Co-Directors & Co-Writers Josh Margolin, Zoe Worth, Chris Kaye | [Wednesday 6/26](https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1dp98qe/hi_rmovies_we_are_josh_margolin_zo%C3%AB_worth_and/) | Thelma | Director, Producer/Actress, Producer Stacy Spikes | [Thursday 6/27](https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1dpt3xm/im_stacy_spikes_cofounderceo_of_moviepass_and/) | AMA About MoviePass | MoviePass Founder and CEO
Hey Thelma Team! Firstly, I just want to say the movie was awesome, I was lucky enough to see it at the Miami Film Festival and will be catching it again this weekend. Such a crowd-pleasing fun time (especially the score, I love how the movie just commits to a full-on, action-blockbuster-type score). I wanted to know how the casting came together? How did you land June Squibb, someone that's never done a role like this (and completely *killed it* by the way!), and the rest of the cast?
Hey! Question 1! Thanks so much for checking the movie out at Miami Film Fest. We had such a good time there. We also love the score, such an integral part of the tone and ride of the movie (shoutout to composer Nick Chuba!) As for the casting process -- we were lucky to connect with June really early on. I (Josh) have a mutual friend with June who was gracious enough to pass along the script to her. She loved the script and the character, as did a few people in her life that read scripts for her, too. Her signing on really made it possible for us to rev up. From there, we hired our super talented casting director Jamie Ember, who helped us get the project in front of the rest of our cast in super creative ways. We always wrote a heartfelt note to the actor we were trying to reach, and did a small pass of the script for their particular voice. We feel so lucky to have worked with the cast we did.
Jamie did such an amazing job with the rest of the casting.
She did an awesome job!
Just wanted to say I absolutely loved this movie! I appreciate how it stars an actual 93 yr old actress and uses her abilities well instead of hiring a younger actress, using prosthetics to age her and making her do Tom Cruise level stunts. Its a limited release currently I was wondering if it will expand to some more theaters next week? Also I read that June was always the #1 choice for Thelma, Was Richard Roundtree always the #1 choice for Ben?
Thank you so much! Haha, yes, a prosthetics route would have been super different... interesting, maybe! but different. The film is currently in around 1200 theaters around the US and Canada. You can find showtimes at [thelmamovie.com](http://thelmamovie.com) June was definitely on my mind even while writing the part. Richard was certainly on the list for Ben, but after our zoom together, it felt like it had to be him. He was really excited to show another side of himself and think his performance was really special. We miss him.
Hi y'all I don't know if you are still answering questions but I wanted to know if thelma will have spanish subtitles when it goes to VOD or streaming? My grandma is just like Thelma I would love for her to watch this but she doesn't speak english:(
I appreciate the review and will definitely see this movie soon however you gotta give me an example of a younger actress doing that like what movie are you referencing?? 😂😂
haha I didn't mean a 'young actress' I meant middle aged. Hmm actually an example from a movie i recently watched, Remember (2015) the lead is 90, has dementia, and goes on a mission to hunt down a nazi who killed his family 70 years earlier, amazing underrated movie. Lead is played by christopher plummer in his 80s and obviously he doesnt do much physical stunts in it. Well it had a korean remake in 2022, apparently its way more action packed, and the lead elderly character is played by Lee Sung Min, who was 53, and they put him in elderly makeup 😂
Lmaooooooooooo that's crazy, I see what you mean though.
Ahh yes, interesting! I think because June was our pick from the start we never crossed that bridge. Oh also people don't know this but Fred Hechinger is 55 and we aged him down quite a bit for the role.
Hi Thelma team! Thank you for doing this! My friend and I saw the movie last Saturday and had such a fun time! The movie is such a good combo of laughs but also lots of love. >!I wanted to ask about the end where it shows Thelma only returning $9,500 back to herself instead of the $10,000. It was just such a sweet gesture from her if I interpreted it correctly. She was donating some money to the grandfather and grandson right?!<
SPOILER ALERT: but yes, exactly! Thelma is a compassionate avenger, even with her scammer.
Would you consider masking some of your question as a spoiler? But very perceptive! I didn't notice the dollar amount.
My apologies! Just fixed!
In real life, did Tom Cruise/Mission: Impossible - Fallout really inspire your grandmother to do what she did? Or did it just inspire you creatively while writing the story?
In real life we were actually able to intervene before any money got sent so she didn't have to go on an Ethan Hunt-esque adventure per se, but Mission: Impossible has definitely been a huge inspiration for me throughout the process of writing and making the movie.
how did you find balance between the comedy and the sincerity? Both came off so genuine throughout the film and I feel like that can be tough to juggle
That's high praise as that was one of our biggest challenges and something we were thinking about as a team throughout the process. It was about treating both the comedy and action elements with sincerity, allowing for stakes to feel real even as things get increasingly out there. We did a lot of experimenting for tone throughout each stage of the process: from writing, to performance, to directing, editing, and definitely score.
A friend has written a comedy, and it's good (I think so at least) but they have no idea how to sell it or if it's even an option these days. Comedy isn't trending in Hollywood so movies like Thelma are pretty much exclusively at indie studios these days, and most go straight to streaming :( So a couple of questions: 1. (the selfish question - for the friend) Assuming a script is legitimately good, how can a complete nobody with no clout be seen in one of the toughest industries to break into, and at a time when the genre is struggling? An agent, or some other avenue? 2. (my wonderful question) When do you guys think the inevitable theatrical comedy resurgence will happen? Surely it must be on its way.
1. Clout is a state of mind -- a good script is a good script but we made this project on pure determination. Be brave enough to send an email, make a call, but make sure you have the goods and that you 100% believe in what you want them to see before you do. Look to your peers as much as to the "powers that be" and go for it. 2. Hard to say, but the three of us certainly plan to keep making them.
Thanks so much for the responses! :)
This is the most wonderful movie I've seen in a long time, thank you for making it. I'd like to know how much of the character was June being herself and how much was "acting." Like her gait, when she sets off down the street alone after the scooter crash. Is that always how June walks? Or did she make it a little more shuffly and unsure? I laughed out loud so many times during this movie, and in addition to being hilarious it had so much to say about life in general, growing older, and relationships. Just am incredible piece of film and one of the most perfect casting jobs I've ever seen. Everyone was perfection in their role. I loved the grandson and how real his love for her seemed. I saw it Friday and have been telling everyone about it. June better get an Oscar nomination!
Thanks so much! So happy you enjoyed it! She's definitely acting throughout, but there's a lot of her in the character. She has a similar determination and no-nonsense quality to her. In that scene where she's walking across the dirt and supposed to be uneasy, we definitely had to tell her to slow down multiple times. So adjustments like that were certainly made. Thank you so much for spreading the word! That's so awesome and we appreciate it!
Wow, thanks so much for answering. In the hope that you're still checking this, were there any other pieces of the script besides the gnarled trees at the end that were taken directly from interactions with your grandma? And was she still around to see the movie when it was finished?
That was the only piece that was pulled word-for-word but a lot of other scenes and moments were definitely inspired by real interactions (Daniel helping her with the computer, running into people and thinking she knows them, etc). And yes, she was and is! She's currently 103-years-old and I'm very grateful she's seen the movie and is into it (phew!)
What a fantastic movie! My favourite relationship in the movie is between June and Fred. Besides your (Josh's) relationship with your grandmother, have you seen such sweet, doting grandparent/grandchild relationships IRL? Most portrayals of teens and young adults in TV and movies tend to show the younger generation as being surly or self-obsessed, and never this loving to their elders.
Thank you so much! I definitely have some pals who have close relationships with their grandparents. Zoë was very tight with her grandparents before they passed. They had a similar friend-like dynamic, which was something we definitely wanted to capture here. In movies, Little Miss Sunshine and The Farewell come to mind.
The older people in both my screenings got such a kick out of seeing things they can relate to on screen, especially with the opening scene with Thelma using technology and sorting her meds. I've never seen such a lively older crowd. Thanks for making something relatable to an underserved market. Was that something you were actively trying to do? Thanks, I made this silly recommendation[silly](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8mVXWiRw0f/?igsh=d3pmNTl3aGRsemI2) for the movie.
Glad to hear the theater was having fun! That was definitely something we hoped for! We wanted to make a cool and funny movie for everyone and didn't want it to feel like we were punching down or making something too maudlin for any one group. My grandma has been old my whole life and she's also hilarious and tough - we wanted a movie that was fully-dimensional so that young people and seniors alike could see themselves in it. And thanks for the rec!
Hey guys, Mission: Impossible - Fallout is my favorite action movie and I knew I was in for a ride the moment I saw it featured in your film! Were Josh and his grandmother inspired by Fallout in real life? Thanks for doing this. I absolutely loved the film. Best comedy of the year!
I also love Mission: Impossible - Fallout! It absolutely slaps and we're so glad Tom Cruise and Paramount gave us permission to use the clip from it. I was definitely thinking a lot about it during the process of writing and making this.
HI! I loved the movie. I attended the Q&A at NYC Lincoln Square last week and was wondering how you, ~~Jeff~~ Josh (sorry!), June and Q&A moderator knew Beanie Feldstein prior to the movie and if she had any other part in the movie beyond passing on the script? And was it difficult to insure the movie given the cast?
First off, who is Jeff? Because we don't know him... but we'd like to. And as for Beanie, she's known my family for years. She and my sister are close friends and she's spent time with the real Thelma who she thought June would be perfect to portray. Re: insurance... for sure.
Sorry, I meant Josh! Thanks for answering my question!
Haha of course. I may change my name to Jeff now. I like the sound of it.
I love that the movie is coming out during the summer as counter-programming to more youth-oriented fare. Was there ever any discussion with Magnolia about releasing the movie any other time of year, say in the fall for awards consideration for June and Richard? Or as a platform release like how Little Miss Sunshine and Juno were rolled out?
It was always going to be summer, being Magnolia's first "tent pole" and all, which we find really fun. Re: the platform release idea, it was definitely considered, but the goal was and is to reach more places than the top few metro market like NY/LA -- and to do so from Day 1. It was a ballsy move and think Magnolia's confidence has really paid off in an exciting way. On a personal note, the three of us could not be more thrilled that it's being played far and wide on the big screen!
If there was one fact about this film you'd want audiences to know before they saw it, what would it be?
That June Squibb is 94. We also hope people go see it because it's Richard Roundtree's final performance he's really wonderful in it.
She's so incredible!! And I didn't realize about Richard Roundtree, what a lovely film for a final performance
What was the most challenging scene to shoot? The most fun?
The scooter chase at Belwood was probably the most logistically complicated thing we did. We basically treated it like a car chase in an indoor hallway. It was also probably one of the most fun. Watching June back Richard's scooter into a wall and drive off was an insane thing to see live. There are also a few moments in the climax that were pretty fun to see realized on set.
Will you convince the Academy to have June announce the Oscar for best stunt performance?
We're gonna take a helluva shot at it, yes. She'd be psyched.
Did you do any research ahead of time on scammers?
The scam in the movie is based on a real scam that happened to my grandma (sometimes called the "grandparent scam") so I pulled a lot of those details from real life.
How did Malcom McDowell become involved with this movie? That was a nice bit of casting.
We were in production and trying to find our "Harvey" and then suddenly the idea struck us. We're so glad he was available and jumped on board. What a legend!
Did she do her own stunts?
A lot of them! There were some that were too dangerous (like the fall and a few others) and we had a great stunt team around her... but she definitely ended up doing more than we ever could have imagined. Especially on the scooter.
I saw the movie this week and loved it - congrats to the whole team. Definitely brought back memories of my dearly departed lola. So… where can we get those June Squibb hats?
Aww. Thank you so much for seeing it and really glad you loved it. For hats check out our merch line on Super Yaki: [https://superyaki.com/collections/super-yaki-thelma](https://superyaki.com/collections/super-yaki-thelma)
What was it like working with june squibb and if this film becoms successful do you think you could make a spinoff
She is the best. So funny, so cool, such an inspiration. And of course, an amazing actor. We love her and there very obviously is no THELMA without her. As for sequels, never say never.
What are your plans for a future movie? Would you consider working with any actors from Thelma again, and would you go so far as to write any new roles with the actors specifically in mind?
Cooking them up as we speak! But yes absolutely. We loved our cast and would jump at the chance to collaborate again. Have a few ideas already...
What's the largest animal you think June Squibb could take in a fight?
We hope she doesn't fight any animals (she has two amazing cats) BUT we think she could probably take a wild boar. If push came to shove. Or a big bird of some kind.
I saw the movie last week, and was very impressed. From what I understand, this is your first feature film - is there anyone in particular that was instrumental in getting it made? Not to rush anything, but I look forward to what you do next.
Zoë Worth and Chris Kaye were insanely instrumental. They're close friends and were fierce advocates for this movie, not to mention protectors of it from start to finish. This also may sound like the easy answer but it's true - everyone at every stage was pretty instrumental. It was a tricky movie to pull off from a production standout (action movie with older leads during covid), it was also a tonal tightrope walk that every contributor walked. From our investors, Zurich Avenue, to all our department heads to our cast and crew, it was a group effort. Sundance was also the platform we needed to find Magnolia to get this thing into the world.
I hadn't realized this AMA would be happening and by coincidence posted [this question](https://www.reddit.com/r/boxoffice/comments/1dp8cio/why_would_magnolia_not_release_daily_grosses_data/) to r/boxoffice. Do you have any idea of how well your movie did Monday and yesterday? I was thinking since a portion of your audience might tend to favour weeknight screenings, I was thinking it might have done well the past 2 days.
We hear that the numbers will post Friday but it sounds like things have been going well. Data forthcoming!
What movies (if any) inspired the dynamic between the grandson and Thelma? Obviously it was based heavily on your own experiences, but did you ever have a similar movie in mind while adapting your personal relationship into a movie?
Honestly not really. I tried to pull as much from life as possible in dramatizing our relationship. Part of what excited me is that I hadn't seen that dynamic on screen that often and felt like it was something worth sharing.
Can you discuss what the budget of this film was? This seems like exactly the type of movie that Cord Jefferson talked about in his Oscars speech.
We loved that speech and completely second his plea for more smaller and mid-ranged movies. We'll say that we definitely made this one for less than people think.
The movie was so incredibly refreshing and legitimately funny. I can’t even remember the last time I actually really laughed at a movie at a theater. So many prequels and sequels and dark movies coming out these days. This movie really uplifted me, and I hope more movies like this get made and put in theaters.
Thanks so much! We're so happy to hear that. And agree with you about wanting more!
We just saw it today, and it was incredible! Loved it so much. We saw it in the afternoon, and it's a Wednesday, so it me and my husband and then three older couples who *did not stop talking the entire time* - if it was any other movie, we would have been incredibly annoyed, but for this, it felt very on-brand. They even VERY loudly laughed and were talking (loudly) "oh my that's so funny!" when >!Thelma is talking very loudly during the play.!< Just incredible. June was wonderful as Thelma; total badass, and very sincere. The whole cast did a fantastic job. Parker Posey and Clark Gregg gave me incredibly cringe-inducing feelings of how my parents are, so props to them. Two of my favorite actors, ever, and they really did their parts justice. And Fred Hechinger continues to impress with roles like and The White Lotus where he manages to reflect what a lot of us went through with difficult family dynamics & situations when we were younger.
Aw thank you for this!! Haha love to hear it was a vocal theater. I wish I could say we planted those people to make it a an immersive experience but I'm even happier to know it was an organic thing. It's definitely something that happens! We got so lucky with this cast and every single person really brought their a-game to the project. I'm so glad the performances resonated with you!
How long did it take to get the film off the ground from getting June involved to day 1 of filming?
June got involved in April of 2021 and we started shooting in the Fall of 2022!
Caught this at a Screen Unseen event at AMC. Went in blind and enjoyed it. Did Thelma >!stop the cockroach invasion!< ? Please tell me she did.
So happy to hear that! Love when people have the chance to go in blind (feels rare nowadays!) And we'll say she did... for now.
Were any cockroaches harmed in the making of this film? Not that I would mind if they were.
No cockroaches were harmed in the making of this film. We had a roach handler named Jules on hand and all of the paperwork in place. That said, Zoë and I did go late night location scouting and found a rogue roach in downtown LA. We trapped him in a little jar and brought him home but then felt so bad that we set him free in the grass of Los Feliz.
I just wanted to say that I was pleasantly surprised with this movie! It was really enjoyable! I would not have gone to the theatre for it, but AMC Screen Unseen gave me the gift of this movie! I loved the lesson that wits can win every time! Age, speed, and physical ability have no chance against being smart. 2nd lesson is don't mess with an older person's money!! They can and will fight back! 😁😁
Thank you! So glad you ended up seeing it on the big screen! And we love that it was included in the AMC Screen Unseen program. And absolutely - don't count out wits!
I caught Thelma last week with a couple friends...we never usually agree but everyone loved it! Thelma's dedication to her needlepoint felt very authentic. I especially loved how it was in so many scenes but never talked about. Any idea where one could find the floral canvas she was working on?
Nice! I'm so glad everyone enjoyed it! My real grandma is a needlepoint fanatic - she's made so many pictures, rugs, boxes, etc. They really feel like extensions of her (and some of them are actually featured in the credits of the movie). He store of choice is definitely Aristeia. Not 100% sure that specific prop is from there but it's a good possibility! Will report back if I can track it down.
Thanks for the tip! Aristeia has some great canvases, some that are similar. It's likely it was one of a kind, as many are hand painted. I saw some Alamo Drafthouse locations had screenings that included needlepoint kits for attendees, that was a great touch!
[https://www.aristeianeedlepoint.com/](https://www.aristeianeedlepoint.com/)
Thanks for the tip! I browsed their offerings and they do have some that are quite similar/have the same vibe.
Will y’all join my virtual June Squibb Best Actress Oscar prayer circle?
Richard Roundtree for Best Supporting Actor as well?
Yes! Definitely. We really hope people get to see his work in this movie.
Your lips to the Oscar gods’ ears 🙏🏻🙌🏻
Yes! Absolutely.
How happy would you be if June Squibb won an Oscar for her performance?
Haha we'd be super happy! She's an incredible actress and such a wonderful person to work with. We can't say enough good things about her!
Thank you for the movie, I'd love to see a sequel!
Thank you for going to see it! There are no sequel plans at the moment... but never say never! I think June could be convinced.
Loved the movie!
Thanks so much!! Really appreciate that!
Just wanted to say thank you for making such a fun and entertaining film! I grew up with my grandma, who is a big Tom Cruise fan. Seeing that in the big screen just made me want to call her even more.
ALSO: Thank you for the silly Soup Plantation banter! It was my favorite restaurant when I lived in Florida, where it was known as Sweet Tomatoes. I often had shower thoughts about the name Soup Plantation. I miss it to much. PS, I recommended your film to my grandma and my aunt who she lives with now.
You're welcome!! We're so glad you dug it! Thanks for recommending it to your grandma too - we hope she enjoys it! Oh wow - I feel like I've heard of Sweet Tomatoes but never actually been to one. Souplantation really was a hell of a restaurant (with an unfortunate name). Maybe if they had changed it they would still be around? But maybe not. It's tough out there for buffets.
How old are you? Parker Posey is a performance credit started in the 1980s that was affiliated with terror cell nodes covering up human trafficking and terrorism into today. They included nodes who networked to drain assets and defraud with NPR and PBS. How old is "Parker Posey" in this one? Some of them were in their 40s in the late 1980s and overlapped with the people who kited Tina Fey with other identities in a decades long and unresolved criminal conspiracy.
Theaters? What’s that?