Viral Twitter Story ‘Zola’ to Become Movie & We. Can’t. Wait.

Janicza Bravo (left) & Aziah Wells King (right)

By Sharee Silerio

Have you ever read a story so tantalizing, mysterious and real that you
couldn’t stop reading it? Have you found a Twitter thread so interesting that
you had to follow it from beginning to end? If not, then your chance to
experience both lies in “Zola” a viral Twitter story written by Aziah Wells
King that will soon become a movie.

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Recently, it was announced
that Janicza Bravo, director of film ‘Lemon,’ the Juneteenth episode of Atlanta; and the Dear White
People season two episode Chapter
IX (road trip), will direct the
film based on Wells’ account for entertainment company A24, who has produced
films such as Moonlight and Hereditary.

In the fall of 2015, by way of 140 or so tweets, Wells, an exotic dancer,
tells us about the time she,
aka Zola, went on a road trip to Florida with her friend Jessica, and soon
learns that the people she’s relying on to get her back home safe are really an
oblivious prostitute; a clueless boyfriend; and an angry internet pimp named “Z.”

The tale not only captured our five senses, but our favs like Missy
Elliott, Ava Duvernay, KeKe Palmer and Solange, too.

Christine Vachon and David Hinojosa will produce the tale for Killer
Films, James Franco and Vince Jolivette will produce for Rabbit Bandini
Productions and Gia Walsh and Kara Baker will produce for Gigi
Productions.

Bravo directing the film is great news, because it was originally
reported that Franco (127 Hours, The Disaster Artist) would do so. It’s
not only refreshing to see a black woman bringing a story by and about a black
woman to life, but earlier this year, allegations
that Franco sexually exploited multiple women make his involvement with any project
focused on women problematic.

I’m sure that Bravo will do an amazing job, using her experience and
knack for storytelling to not only bring Wells’ words to life, but express the
realities of sex trafficking in America, including how it can happen. There are
a few lessons in Zola’s story, but one thing is for sure: We should never be
afraid to speak (or write) our truth.