Bob Odenkirk Goes Nuclear in First Trailer for ‘Normal’
Not Your Average Sheriff: Bob Odenkirk Goes Nuclear in First Trailer for ‘Normal’
LOS ANGELES — The "everyman" of action cinema is back, and he’s bringing a badge to a gunfight. Magnolia Pictures and Magnet Releasing have officially dropped the first full trailer for Normal, the highly anticipated action-thriller starring Bob Odenkirk.
Reuniting Odenkirk with John Wick creator and Nobody scribe Derek Kolstad, the film promises a "Fargo-meets-John-Wick" explosion of small-town violence. Directed by the visionary Ben Wheatley (Free Fire, High-Rise), the film is set to hit theaters nationwide on 17th April 2026, in what is being billed as Magnolia’s widest theatrical release in its history.
The "Inverted High Noon"
The two-minute trailer introduces Odenkirk as Ulysses, a world-weary lawman who takes a provisional posting as the substitute sheriff in the quaint, snowy town of Normal, Minnesota. Looking for a "slow reset" to escape a messy divorce and "moral injuries" from his past, Ulysses quickly finds that the town is anything but ordinary.
The tranquility is shattered by a botched bank robbery that inadvertently exposes a deep-seated criminal conspiracy. Suddenly, the entire town—including Ulysses' own deputies—turns against him to protect a secret hidden in the local bank vault.
“Imagine if Walter Hill directed Hot Fuzz,” one critic noted following the film’s high-octane premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). “It’s a 90-minute adrenaline shot that proves Odenkirk is the reigning king of the kinetic everyman.”
A Powerhouse Creative Team
The project marks a significant collaboration between three of the industry's most respected genre creators:
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Bob Odenkirk: Solidifying his status as an action icon following the Nobody franchise.
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Derek Kolstad: The screenwriter who redefined modern action with the John Wick series.
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Ben Wheatley: A director known for his stylistic "chaos-fueled" filmmaking and dark humor.
Wheatley has described the film as an "inverted High Noon," where instead of the sheriff protecting the town, the town is hunting the sheriff.
The Supporting Cast
While Odenkirk anchors the film, the trailer also showcases a star-studded ensemble:
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Henry Winkler: Playing the town’s "ever-charming" mayor who may be hiding a sinister side.
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Lena Headey: Starring as Moira, a local barkeep with a massive—and fully loaded—firearm collection.
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Billy MacLellan: Playing Mike, Ulysses' "derpy" partner who finds himself caught in the crosshairs.
17th April: A "Wide Release" Landmark
The release of Normal marks a strategic shift for Magnolia Pictures. Traditionally a boutique distributor, the studio is giving Normal a massive push into over 2,000 theaters.
Industry analysts suggest that the combination of Odenkirk’s Better Call Saul prestige and the commercial "John Wick" DNA makes Normal one of the most bankable original action properties of the year. For fans of Odenkirk’s "polite badass" persona, April cannot come soon enough.
