“Y’all wanna hear a story about why me and this b*tch fell out?”
If you were an avid user of Twitter back in 2015, chances are you might be familiar with the famous 148-tweet thread by stripper Aziah Wells, better known to her followers and fans as Zola.
Zola went viral after taking to the platform to recount #TheStory (as it came to be known by fans of the tale) of her fateful meeting with fellow dancer Jessica, who quickly invited Zola to take a work trip to Florida with her.
Knowing there was plenty of money to be made in nightclubs in The Sunshine State, Zola agreed – setting off a chain of events that nobody could have seen coming.
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Zola’s tweets quickly had everyone talking, with thousands wanting to know more about the key players within this insane story of sex, crime and social media. Interest in the tale picked up even more when Zola finally agreed to a tell-all interview with Rolling Stone in November of the same year – and that’s when she caught the attention of production house A24.
The studio behind award-winners Moonlight, Lady Bird and Hereditary, A24 have always had an eye for stories that will capture the imagination of the masses – and the viral thread certainly made for some enthralling source material.
Seeing the potential in Zola’s wild saga, writer and director Janicza Bravo was brought on board to turn the viral tweets into a compelling screenplay recounting every dramatic detail.
Set to hit theaters this summer, Zola is already tipped for success, having been nominated for Sundance Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize and with Janicza Bravo selected as Palm Springs International Film Festival’s Director To Watch for 2021. We may even see Zola nominated for an Oscar in 2022…
So, ahead of the release of the first ever movie adapted from a series of tweets, why not familiarise yourself with the source material? In the words of Zola herself, ‘it’s kinda long, but it’s full of suspense’.
The thread has since been deleted from Zola’s Twitter, but has been immortalised – as all great tales are – with a 25-image set on Imgur
Oh, and needless to say – spoilers and lots of adult content ahead.
Zola hits US theaters this summer.