A movie based on a tweet based on a Tumblr post has been bought at Cannes Film Festival, and it’s the news 2017 needed.
It all started in 2015, when Roxy Macdonald reblogged a Tumblr post of Lupita Nyong’o and Rihanna at a Miu Miu fashion event.
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Two years later, Twitter user @1800SADGAl took up the concept and posted it to Twitter — this time adding that the two look as if they don’t just scam anyone, but rich white men to boot.
Rihanna looks like she scams rich white men and lupita is the computer smart best friend that helps plan the scans https://t.co/PhWs1xd3nj
— WHOOPHERASSKOURTNI (@1800SADGAL) April 18, 2017
Twitter erupted, willing the film into existence. First to opt in was Nyong’o.
I’m down if you are @rihanna https://t.co/vwHBWeCbFZ
— Lupita Nyong’o (@Lupita_Nyongo) April 21, 2017
Three days later, Rihanna, who began her acting career this year in Bates Motel and will star in Ocean’s Eight in 2018, agreed too.
I’m in Pit’z https://t.co/Kz0o3lBEmL
— Rihanna (@rihanna) April 23, 2017
Writer Mikelle Street then called on Ava Duvernay to direct. Duvernay seemed the obvious choice, as the first black female director to have her film nominated for an Academy Award.
@MikelleStreet@rihanna Lights set. Camera’s up. Ready to call action for these #queens.
pic.twitter.com/NVgqpFeTnu — Ava DuVernay (@ava) April 24, 2017
Next on board? Issa Rae, the writer known for her web series Awkward Black Girl, and HBO series Insecure.
@dvrrxll@rihannapic.twitter.com/XG2WMribGJ
— Issa Rae (@IssaRae) April 23, 2017
And that was all it took. The film was hotly contested for at Cannes Film Festival this week, but Netflix nudged out multiple other suitors to come out on top. After a dramatic week at Cannes (many cinema lovers were vexed by the streaming site’s presence), the company should certainly relish the win.
Issa Rae is currently working on the script, but her team have confirmed with Vanity Fair that the original creators of the idea will be credited and included in some form.
We deserve nice things.
https://t.co/VlbKhLNDIv — Ava DuVernay (@ava) May 22, 2017
We really, really do.
