‘Thelma’ trailer: June Squibb takes on phone scammers as Hollywood’s newest action hero [WATCH]

There’s a new action hero in Hollywood and her name is June Squibb! At 94 years young, the Oscar-nominated actress (“Nebraska”) stars in “Thelma,” an action comedy about Thelma Post, a 93-year-old woman who gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson. Fueled with rage, Thelma sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her. Watch the first teaser trailer below.

“Thelma” premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2024 and was quickly scooped up by Magnolia Pictures. Squibb’s co-stars include Fred Hechinger, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg and Malcolm McDowell. The feature directorial debut of Josh Margolin, “Thelma” is a poignant action-comedy that gives Squibb her first leading role and features Roundtree’s final performance.

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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. 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, Squibb portrays the strong-willed Thelma with grit and determination, demonstrating that she is more than capable of taking care of business – despite what her daughter Gail (Posey), son-in-law Alan (Gregg), or grandson Danny might believe.

The film won over critics at Sundance and holds a 98% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics consensus reads, “A stellar showcase for the talented June Squibb, ‘Thelma’ avoids cheap laughs as it finds the lighter side of some serious issues.” “Thelma” will be released nationwide on June 21, 2024.

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