Miami Film Festival 2024 Red Carpet Interview - Thelma director Josh Margolin and producer Zoë Worth on working with the late Richard Roundtree
Opening the 2024 Miami Film Festival on April 5th was Thelma, written and directed by Josh Margolin and starring Fred Hechinger, June Squibb, Malcolm McDowell, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey, and Clark Gregg.
Produced by Chris Kaye and Zoë Worth, the film had its World Premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and will be released in theaters by Magnolia Pictures later this summer.
93-year-old Thelma is at a crossroads in her life – in between senior citizen and senior living. Widowed and living alone, she stubbornly clings to her independence, all while butting heads with her well-intentioned but perpetually concerned family.
When Thelma gets duped out of $10,000 by a phone scammer pretending to be her beloved grandson, her family accepts it as a regrettable loss. But not Thelma. Enlisting the help of her longtime friend Ben (the late Richard Roundtree in his final on-screen performance), the two set out on a treacherous quest across Los Angeles to reclaim what was taken from her - and show her family just how capable she truly is.
On the red carpet at the opening of the 41st Miami Film Festival, Blackfilmandtv.com spoke with Josh Margolin and producer Zoe Worth on the film and working with Richard Roundtree, who died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Los Angeles on October 24, 2023, at the age of 81.
Where did you come up with the genesis to write this story?
Josh Margolin: You know, an event very similar to the scam that happens in the movie happened to my real grandma. And so when that happened, it sort of got my wheels turning and I started imagining what might happen if she had sent the money and set out on her own to get it back, and it sort of flowed from there.
How did you get involved?
Zoë Worth: Josh is a good friend of mine, and I read the script in a writer's group that we have together, and it just blew my mind right away on the first draft. I knew I wanted to get involved and try to make it happen.
We haven't seen June Squibb in a lead role in a long time. What made her the first actress to be in this role?
Josh Margolin: Well, to your point, actually, she just felt so much like the character. She reminds me of my grandma. She's got grit and vulnerability and just this beautiful mix of qualities that felt so perfect for the part. So immediately she was the one we had in mind.
And then there’s Richard Roundtree’s last film. Was there any indication that he was ill? How was he on the set?
Josh Margolin: He was great.
Zoë Worth: Yeah, we didn't know. No idea it was happening, no. His illness happened pretty fast. He was wonderful on set. Such a charismatic, fun, beautiful person. Spirited, amazing. And no, we had no idea. And luckily he did get to see the movie in the weeks before he passed away. And we know he loved it. His family joined us at Sundance. And as tragic as it is to lose him, when you see the movie, you'll see there's something kind of beautiful about this being his last movie as well.
What do you want audiences to get out of this?
Josh Margolin: I hope that they take away the feeling of not counting people out. That there's people who might be easy to count out at first glance, but maybe you think twice about it.