ComingSoon Senior Editor Brandon Schreur spoke with Josh Margolin about writing and directing 2024's Thelma. Margolin discussed how the film pays tribute to his grandmother, working with June Squibb and Richard Roundtree, and more. The film will be released on Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand from Magnolia Home Entertainment on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.

"Thelma, Josh Margolin's directorial debut, is a gripping action-comedy that marks the debut of Oscar nominee June Squibb (Nebraska) and the final role of groundbreaking actor Richard Roundtree (Shaft)," the film's synopsis reads. "Squibb, who performed most of her own stunts in the film, plays Thelma Post, a feisty 93-year-old grandmother who is conned by a telephone scammer posing as her grandson (Fred Hechinger, The White Lotus) and embarks on a treacherous journey across Los Angeles, accompanied by an older friend and his motorized scooter, to reclaim what was taken from her."

Brandon Schreur: Can you tell me a little bit about how this project came about and what your inspirations were? I know you were the screenwriter as well, obviously, and I've heard you say that some of it was based on real things. How personal was Thelma to you?

Josh Margolin: It was a very personal project. It was inspired by a real scam that happened to my grandmother, which is very similar to the one in the movie. In real life, she didn’t send the money, thankfully. We were able to intervene at the last minute, which was a huge relief. But that whole incident and seeing my grandmother get scammed in that way — especially as someone who’s always been so unflappable and so solid and unwavering — stuck in my head and got me thinking. I started to imagine what would have happened if she had sent it and said she needed it back. That became kind of the inspiration for telling this story and for the lens through which I ended up writing an ode to her spirit and her tenacity and her characters. She’s someone I’ve always loved and admired and been very close to my whole life.