Bob Odenkirk’s Next Action Thriller Explodes Into Theaters Nationwide in 2026 From Magnolia Pictures

Bob Odenkirk is apparently allergic to downtime. Fresh off throwing down with Sharon Stone in Nobody 2, he has another bruiser on deck: Normal. Magnolia Pictures just nabbed U.S. rights and is planning to push this one hard with a wide theatrical rollout in 2026.

What is Normal?

Odenkirk plays Ulysses, a lawman drafted into temporary sheriff duty when the long-time sheriff of the tiny town of Normal dies unexpectedly. On his very first crisis, an out-of-towners bank heist, he stumbles into something way uglier: the whole place is rotten. We’re talking everyone from the bartender to the priest playing a part in a deep, well-organized conspiracy. Ulysses has been busy outrunning his own past, but now he has to pick apart the town’s lies and expose the machine underneath.

Festival debut and early buzz

Normal premiered at TIFF’s Midnight Madness this year and got the kind of late-night ovations that make you rethink your bedtime. Over at JoBlo, editor-in-chief Chris Bumbray clocked it at 7/10, calling it exactly the Odenkirk-led action movie he was hoping for: plenty of carnage, Odenkirk in full leading-man mode, and notably strong chemistry with Jess McLeod. He even floated that a follow-up centered on Odenkirk and McLeod as a team would be an easy day-one ticket.

Magnolia is going bigger than usual

Deadline reported on Monday that Magnolia has the U.S. rights and is treating Normal like an event for the company, lining up what they say will be the widest theatrical release in Magnolia’s history. Inside baseball alert: Magnolia is typically a specialty distributor, so hearing them talk about their biggest-ever rollout is noteworthy.

'Magnolia Pictures is beyond thrilled to bring this insanely entertaining movie to theatrical audiences across the country,' Magnolia co-CEOs Eamonn Bowles and Dori Begley said, confirming the deal. 'Director Ben Wheatley and writer Derek Kolstad are at the top of their game, and Bob Odenkirk continues his mastery of the everyman action hero with his best film role yet.'

• Title: Normal
• Director: Ben Wheatley
• Writer: Derek Kolstad
• Starring: Bob Odenkirk as Ulysses (with Jess McLeod among the key players)
• Festival premiere: Midnight Madness at the Toronto International Film Festival
• U.S. distributor: Magnolia Pictures
• Release plan: Wide theatrical release in 2026, the biggest nationwide rollout Magnolia has ever done
• Early reception: Rave festival chatter; 7/10 from JoBlo’s Chris Bumbray

The takeaway

Odenkirk plus Kolstad plus Wheatley is a lean, punchy combo, and hearing Magnolia talk about going wide makes this feel less like a niche curio and more like a real-deal crowd-pleaser. I’m always up for Odenkirk bulldozing through a crooked town. You in?