The Knockturnal was on the scene at the 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival to speak to the cast and crew of Magnolia Pictures’ latest film Normal, starring Bob Odenkirk at the U.S. premiere on Mar. 15, 2026, at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, TX.
Directed by Ben Wheatley with a screenplay by Derek Kolstad, starring Bob Odenkirk, Henry Winkler, Lena Headey, Ryan Allen, Billy MacLellan, Brendan Fletcher, Reena Jolly, Peter Shinkoda, Jess McLeod, and Derek Barnes.
Odenkirk and Kolstad served as producers, alongside Marc Provissiero.
Normal is a familiar romp if you are a fan of Odenkirk’s Nobody film series, as he teams with frequent collaborators, writer Kolstad and producer Provissiero, to deliver a thrilling story about a town that, while it is typical on the outside, hides many dirty secrets underneath. The neo-Western features Odenkirk as a humble substitute sheriff wanting to start fresh in a new town after experiencing a traumatic incident that still plagues him. The trouble is that this small, quiet town soon reveals its true nature after a bank robbery, which brings its dark secrets to the light.
Bob Odenkirk in NORMAL, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
The film initially premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September as part of its Midnight Madness program, garnering a favorable response that led Odenkirk and crew to bring it over to Austin for the SXSW Film & TV Festival in Austin, TX, this time on 35mm at the Paramount Theatre, selected for the festival’s Narrative Spotlight section.
This premiere felt like a homecoming for Odenkirk as he screened his directorial debut, Melvin Goes to Dinner, at SXSW in 2003, where it won the coveted Audience Award. Odenkirk felt honored to return to this festival that welcomed his talents as both a filmmaker and actor, speaking to The Knockturnal on his latest action feature.
Ben Wheatley and Bob Odenkirk pose together at the SXSW red carpet premiere of NORMAL at the Paramount Theatre on Mar. 15, 2026. Photo by The Knockturnal/Anastasia Ryapisova
Odenkirk shared that the Nobody writer, Kolstad, presented the story to him, and he was drawn by how the film is a clever blend of genres.
“So the movie is kind of a mystery suspense film for the first half an hour. Then it becomes an action film. So it was texturally a little different from many of Derek’s films, which are sort of pure action from beginning to end,” Odenkirk said.
This script was a new venture for Kolstad, as he claimed he had never done a film like this before.
“I never done a pure Western, and I grew up watching them and loving them. And to be honest, the John Wick’s and the Die Hard and The Falcon and the Soldier and Nobody, there’s a Western element to it,” Kolstad said.
Kolstad stated that he was inspired by the films of the Coen Brothers, Miller’s Crossing and Raising Arizona, which, while contained, look and feel as if they have massive world-building. The idea first came to him on the set of the first Nobody film, but the idea stalled for some time as both he and Odenkirk were busy.
“It wasn’t until he was about to start Nobody 2 that he was like, what happened to that thing? And he ended up living in Winnipeg for seven months doing Nobody 2 and Normal,” Kolstad said.
Provissiero, producing partner and who also manages Odenkirk, spoke about them reteaming with Kolstad as all three enjoy making action films with one another.
“And Derek [Kolstad] pitches this funny concept for doing an action movie set in a small town. And the script was so unbelievable that we just had, we put the money together and made the movie. The three of us had, this is the third movie we made together. And so for me, it was fun to make a movie outside of the studio system. Took it to TIFF this past September, and it was a very successful event there. We had eight people bidding on the movie. So that’s what’s led us to this moment,” said Provissiero.
Wheatley was instantly sold to direct the film as a fan of Odenkirk and Kolstad’s work. It was his first time as well, pivoting to this genre.
“The film’s kind of an action movie, but it’s also like a neo-western, so I’ve always wanted to do something that was with a sheriff and a town, which is one street and all that kind of stuff.”
Wheatley added, “I used to really like post and editing, and the filmmaking was really stressful. The actual filming was stressful, but as I’ve got older, I’ve relaxed into all of it, to be fair. So it’s all a big treat, the whole thing.”
Provissiero felt that SXSW was the perfect festival to screen the film.
“It’s just a good, funky, weird crowd that plays well to the kind of TV shows and movies we put out,” he said.
For Odenkirk, pivoting to an action star was a natural transition; this film showcases his versatility as a seemingly meek everyman substitute sheriff who is willing to take matters into his own hands and dares to protect a few trusted townspeople and outcasts from the evil citizens who go awry. The neo-Western film doesn’t hold back from all the blood and bullets, but has a lot of heart that is essential to the genre, and is certain to be a new classic.
“It’s really fun. It’s fun to choreograph a fight and put some jokes in there and do all the training that it takes. I really enjoyed making it. I want to make more. I hope I get to make more,” said Odenkirk.
Normal opens Apr. 17th, in theatres everywhere. Watch our entire interview above and watch the trailer below.
