If Bob Odenkirk’s Nobody Movies Are John Wick Homages, His Next R-Rated Action Movie Is A Western Genre Throwback

by

Bob Odenkirk is returning to action roles with his new film, Normal, but it’s a very different type of movie than John Wick.

Written by Derek Kolstad, the creator of John Wick and Nobody, this action movie follows Ulysses, a man who becomes sheriff of a small Minnesota town after the previous sheriff dies. He’s hoping for a peaceful life, but things get complicated when a failed bank robbery reveals a dangerous secret that could destroy the town.

To celebrate its premiere at the festival, ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan spoke with Derek Kolstad at SXSW about his new film, Normal. When asked about early comparisons to his previous work on the Nobody films, Kolstad explained that the main character in Nobody actively seeks violence, needing it like “an addiction.” He described the protagonist’s desire for conflict as something he fundamentally needs.

Kolstad describes Ulysses as a more traditional Western hero—someone who only resorts to violence as a last resort, and might even choose to avoid conflict altogether. He specifically mentioned several classic Clint Eastwood films as major inspirations for both Bob Odenkirk’s character and the overall tone of the movie.

A great example of building tension is the classic film High Noon. I also love a scene from Pale Rider where Clint Eastwood, playing a preacher, calmly walks through a fight in town without intervening. He then goes to a bank, opens an empty safe deposit box, and simply removes his collar – that’s when the movie really gets going. We used a similar idea when developing the character of Ulysses; the name came from a playful idea about Ulysses S. Grant being nicknamed ‘Useless.’ Ultimately, the heroes I enjoy writing and watching are defined by their strong will and empathy, and this character embodies both of those qualities.

The action genre remains diverse, but the popularity of the John Wick movies has inspired a wave of similar films. Titles like Nobody, the Extraction series, and Sisu all attempt to capture the same energy—featuring skilled actors performing intense hand-to-hand combat and showcasing a single hero taking on overwhelming odds.

As Kolstad observed, the character of Hutch in the Nobody films is largely motivated by a need for conflict. This is evident in the first movie’s famous bus scene, where he silently asks for a fight with the Russian mobsters. In the 2025 sequel, his eagerness to return to action created tension with his family, as he repeatedly dismissed his wife’s requests for a relaxing vacation.

I’m really intrigued by what the writer and producer have said about Normal. Apparently, it’s going to feel more like a Western than another John Wick movie, which is a cool shift for both of them, honestly. The trailers we’ve seen definitely show they’re still using a lot of the close-quarters combat we’ve come to expect from 87North Productions – that’s a good thing! But it sounds like Bob Odenkirk’s character isn’t exactly eager to jump into the fights this time, even though he kind of gets pulled in anyway. It’s a nice change of pace to see him a little more hesitant.

The new show Normal, created by Odenkirk and Kolstad, seems to be a success so far, with critics giving it mostly positive reviews – it currently has an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, similar to the movie Nobody. Although it faces competition from big releases like The Mummy and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, its distinctive style and lower-pressure premise might help it become a surprising box office success.

Be sure to dive into some of ScreenRant‘s other SXSW coverage with:

  • The Sun Never Sets Review
  • Brian Review
  • The Fox Review
  • I Love Boosters Review
  • Dead Eyes Review
  • One Another Review
  • Kill Me Review
  • Ready or Not 2: Here I Come Review
  • The Saviors Review
  • Family Movie Review
  • Power Ballad Review
  • Seekers of Infinite Love Review
  • Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice Review
  • Over Your Dead Body Review
  • Sender Review
  • Dakota Fanning reacting to All Her Fault‘s record-breaking success
  • Sydney Chandler sharing her ideal Alien: Earth season 2 story for Wendy and the Lost Boys as production ramps up
  • Robin Tunney weighing in on a Mentalist revival after its Netflix resurgence
  • Yul Vazquez explaining why he has yet to return to Severance
  • Jake Johnson on the chances of Peter B. Parker getting a Spider-Verse live-action spinoff
  • Elijah Wood teasing that his mysterious Ready or Not 2: Here I Come character may be immortal
  • Wood on reuniting with his Faculty co-star Shawn Hatosy in the Ready or Not sequel
  • The Ready or Not 2: Here I Come director and cast on the sequel’s new cabal of wealthy Satanists
  • Jessica Rothe on the ongoing wait for Happy Death Day 3 to close out the Blumhouse franchise
  • BenDavid Grabinski on how Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice breaks a classic sci-fi time-travel trope
  • Grabinski and Vince Vaughn on the accidental Dodgeball reunion in Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice
  • John Goodman responding to Monsters Inc. 3 reports
  • Kevin Hamedani sharing how the Adam Scott and Danielle Deadwyler-led The Saviors was inspired by both The Twilight Zone and The X-Files
  • Emily Browning on how Hulu’s Prison Break reboot will be different from the original series
  • Raviv Ullman on the chances of a Phil of the Future revival
  • Jamie Lee Curtis sharing why she ultimately didn’t play One Piece season 2’s Dr. Kureha after fan campaigning
  • Barbara Crampton on her goal to become “the Betty White” of the horror genre
  • Jorma Taccone and Brian McElhaney on how the Timothy Olyphant-starring Over Your Dead Body remake is gorier than the original
  • Taccone confirming his, Akiva Schaffer and Andy Samberg’s Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping won’t get a sequel
  • Leighton Meester reacting to the new Blair Waldorf-focused Gossip Girl book
  • Riz Ahmed explaining why Andor didn’t bring back his Star Wars character, Bodhi
  • Adam Scott teasing the “terrific” scripts for Severance season 3 as he confirms filming begins soon
  • Kelly Marie Tran reflecting on how Star Wars: The Last Jedi opened the door for her to make everything from The Wedding Banquet remake to Rock Springs
  • Graham Parkes on how Lewis Pullman and Maya Hawke’s Wishful Thinking puts a dark twist on a 20-year-old book
  • Chandler, Takehiro Hira, Maximilian Lee Piazza and Brian Tetsuro Ivie talk Anima‘s experimental filming
  • The cast and producer of I Love Boosters hype Boots Riley & Keke Palmer’s “unapologetic” new crime movie
  • David E. Kelley, Elle Fanning and the Margo’s Got Money Troubles cast on their Apple TV comedy and why Michelle Pfeiffer was the only choice to help lead it
  • The AI Doc: Or How I Became An Apocaloptimist team breaking down just how extensive their research was
  • Dakota Fanning, Joe Swanberg, Jake Johnson and Cory Michael Smith on the bizarre experience filming The Sun Never Sets
  • Brea Grant and her Grind team on how they turned a short film into a DIY horror hit
  • Uma Thurman and the Pretty Lethal team on mixing R-rated ballet-fu action with a touching central message
  • Kathryn Newton on still not being used to watching people blow up after reuniting with Radio Silence on Ready or Not 2
  • Adam Scott and Damian McCarthy on how Hokum gives the star a return to a rare villain-like role
  • BenDavid Grabinski and the Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice cast on how the sci-fi action comedy is like two movies in one
  • Kevin Hamedani on how Adam Scott and Danielle Deadwyler’s Saviors casting specifically is meant to go against audience expectations
  • Lucy DeVito, Danny DeVito, Lizzy Caplan and the rest of the Drag team sharing how their thriller offers a new twist on Home Alone

Read More

2026-03-18 18:22