The Origins Of Bob Odenkirk & Derek Kolstad’s Violent New Nobody 2 Follow-Up Explained By Normal Director

by

Okay, so I’m really enjoying Bob Odenkirk‘s turn as an action star! After Nobody, he’s back with another thriller called Normal, and the story behind how this movie came to be is seriously wild – it’s unlike anything I’ve heard before.

The new film brings together two-time Emmy winner Bob Odenkirk and Derek Kolstad, who previously worked together on an action series similar to John Wick. Odenkirk plays Ulysses, a man who steps in as temporary sheriff of a small Minnesota town after the previous sheriff dies. Initially feeling like an outsider, Ulysses slowly gets to know the town’s residents, including the welcoming Mayor Kibner, who hopes he’ll stay, and the friendly people like Moira.

Soon after arriving, Normal witnesses a bank robbery that reveals a secret criminal network is controlling much of the town, immediately making Ulysses a target. With limited support, Ulysses must battle his way through the town to try and restore genuine peace to its residents.

Bob Odenkirk stars in Normal, supported by a talented cast including Henry Winkler (known from many sitcoms) as Mayor Kibner, Lena Headey (of Game of Thrones), Billy MacLellan (Nobody), Brendan Fletcher (Violent Night), Peter Shinkoda (Falling Skies), and Jess McLeod (It’s a Wonderful Knife). The film was directed by Ben Wheatley and written by Kolstad, who developed the story with Odenkirk. It premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival to mostly positive reviews and currently has a 74% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Leading up to the release of the film, Liam Crowley from ScreenRant spoke with Derek Kolstad, Henry Dinklage, and Jess McLeod about their new project, Normal. Kolstad explained that Dinklage, known for his comedy and dramatic roles, was eager to explore more action-oriented work. Kolstad was also excited by the chance to both write and perform the action sequences himself, and he aimed to combine these skills in a fresh way.

Derek Kolstad explained that action fans are used to seeing stunt doubles in films. Knowing Bob was committed to doing his own training was important. But what really made working with Bob great was his background as a writer. They could discuss not only his character, but the entire world of the story, always striving for the best ideas – a process they described as ‘iron sharpens iron.’ This collaborative evolution continued right up to and during filming. Having Ben join the project and contribute as a true partner was also a wonderful experience.

Odenkirk Was A “Generous” Spirit For His Normal Co-Stars

ScreenRant asked how Bob Iger first contacted me about the project – whether it was by phone, text message, or email.

Henry Winkler and Bob are friends – Bob and his wife, Naomi, are actually good friends of ours. I even saw Bob performing on Broadway, and he asked me to be in a film with him. I told him I’d do it no matter what! He didn’t mention we’d be having an argument in the movie, and he promised to make the shoot comfortable for me. Turns out, ‘comfortable’ meant filming a scene in a blizzard!

ScreenRant: How did your relationship evolve once you got to have this professional collaboration?

Henry Winkler describes Bob as a remarkably kind and giving person. He’s incredibly talented – a producer, writer, and star – but never lets his own success overshadow the project. Instead, he uses his skills to keep everything running smoothly. Making a movie involves so many people and details, and Bob, along with the director, ensured everything came together to tell a great story and create a fun, surprising experience for everyone involved, ultimately resulting in a movie that’s a joy to watch.

ScreenRant asked about the first scene I filmed with Bob Odenkirk – a tense traffic stop where my character is pulled over for drunk driving. They wanted to know about the experience on set that day, and even what my initial reaction was when I first read the scene. I also discussed what I learned about my own acting process while working through such a challenging moment with a talented actor like Bob.

That scene was the moment I knew I had to try out for the role. It was so beautiful and unique within the context of the film – a really interesting change of pace. We actually filmed it on the very last day, in a freezing cold studio in Winnipeg with no heat! We were both shivering, but I think that really helped the scene. We had a lot of fun shooting it. I’d say Bob and I are different as performers. I’m very energetic and expressive, while Bob, though also funny, is more reserved and serious. I didn’t expect that from him! He’s incredibly dedicated and takes his work very seriously, so we played off each other really well. It was great that some of our improvisation made it into the final cut.

I don’t have a smooth transition to my next question, but it’s funny—I was wearing a Falcon and the Winter Soldier T-shirt at the gym this morning and didn’t realize you’d actually written some of the episodes! Anyway, getting to the point, did the show’s episodes change much after you wrote them?

Working on ‘Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ was a really interesting experience. We definitely felt the impact of COVID during production, and it threw things around a bit. But what I really appreciated was the showrunner, Malcolm Spellman. He was incredibly generous. He told me right from the start he’d give my scripts a polish, but wouldn’t take a writing credit – he wanted them to remain my work, as his name was already on the show as creator. He really took me under his wing, taught me a lot about writing for television, and it was just a fantastic collaboration.

Be sure to dive into some of our previous Normal coverage with:

  • Our Normal Review
  • Derek Kolstad on how Normal is more like a Western than a John Wick clone
  • Bob Odenkirk and the Normal cast, Ben Wheatley Kolstad on almost cutting one of the movie’s best jokes
  • Odenkirk on why the movie cast Henry Winkler as one of the film’s main villains
  • Odenkirk reflecting on his remake of The Room and how it tackled the Tommy Wiseau cult classic
  • Wheatley on how Normal puts a new twist on a Gary Cooper classic
  • Wheatley on how Final Destination served as a surprising influence on the film
  • Kolstad offering a disappointing status update on his Streets of Rage adaptation

Read More

2026-04-21 23:53