Skip to main content

This infamous Twitter saga will become James Franco’s next film

In a time ruled by social media and countless movie reboots, even tweets are now being adapted into screenplays. Actor and perennial oddball James Franco’s latest project will see him directing a film based on Zola Tells All: The Real Story Behind the Greatest Stripper Saga Ever Tweeted, a Rolling Stone article by David Kushner which, itself, was based on a round of tweets that went viral, reports THR.

The article, published in November, was inspired by a 148-tweet recap by Aziah “Zola” Wells of a crazy weekend trip she had taken with a fellow stripper, Jessica. The two, along with Jessica’s boyfriend, Jarrett, headed to Florida to work at a club, and there, the situation quickly got out of hand — at least according to Zola.

Recommended Videos

She wrote of Jessica’s pimp, “Z,” turning up and putting Jessica to work, much to the dismay of the already-depressed Jarrett. Over the course of the night, the saga continues to get crazier, with Jessica being snatched and beaten by a group of men — one of whom Z is said to end up shooting — and Jarrett jumping off of a balcony.

Rolling Stone got in touch with Zola and the story’s major players after it caught fire online. Jessica and Zola’s accounts of the evening differ (Jessica denies turning tricks), and Zola admits that she played up parts of the story based on the reaction of her followers, but nevertheless, people were enthralled by the drama. The tweets even gained the attention of stars like Missy Elliot and Selma director Ava DuVernay; Franco obviously saw the appeal as well.

The project seems right up Franco’s alley, following a similarly torrid tale as the recent film Spring Breakers. “It reads like Spring Breakers meets Pulp Fiction, as told by Nicki Minaj,” wrote Kushner in his article.

In addition to directing, Franco will produce alongside his Rabbit Bandini Productions partner Vince Jolivette. Killer Films’ Christine Vachon and David Hiojosa, and Gia Walsh and Kara Baker of Gigi Films will also produce. The script will be written by Andrew Neel and Mike Roberts, who collaborated with Franco on the upcoming film Goat.  A release date has not yet been announced.

Stephanie Topacio Long
Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…
This new movie will smash the weekend box office — watch the trailer
A photo of someone watching a movie in a theater.

Superman is all set to smash the weekend box office, with forecasts suggesting that the second reboot of the movie series will take between $115 million and $135 million in North America, Boxoffice Pro reports.

Opening globally on Friday (check out the trailer above), the movie, directed and co-written by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet as Superman, had a reported budget of $225 million, while marketing could reportedly add another $200 million or so to those costs.

Read more
3 underrated Netflix movies you should watch this weekend (July 11-13)
The Irishman Netflix Robert De Niro

Finding movies to watch on Netflix isn't supposed to eat up your whole night. Netflix might have plenty of options, but the challenge comes from actually picking which one makes the most sense.

If you've spent hours scrolling through the streaming service looking for the perfect movie, then we've got you covered. We've pulled together three underrated movies that are all worth checking out, each of which will hopefully save you from hours of unnecessary scrolling.

Read more
3 great free movies to stream this weekend (July 11-13)
Arnold Schwarzenegger looks on with a scowl.

This weekend, it's time to look up because Superman soars into theaters. A lot is riding on Superman. It's the first film from James Gunn and Peter Safran in the new DC Universe. Their dreams of a shared universe that rivals the MCU hinge on Superman's critical and financial success.

After watching a movie like Superman in your local theater, wind down on the couch with a free movie from a FAST service. Signing up is free and takes less than five minutes. The movie selection on FAST services rivals that of a paid streaming service. Check out these three great movies to stream.

Read more