James Franco will direct a film based on the true viral story of stripper Aziah "Zola" Wells' journey to Florida.
Zola's story took the Internet by storm in October when she tweeted a wild road trip to Florida with her friend Jessica, Jessica's boyfriend, Jarett, and a violent Nigerian pimp named Z, as HNGN previously reported.
Zola's story, which trended worldwide with the hashtag #TheStory, started with her first tweet, "Okay listen up. This story long. So I met this white bitch at Hooters..." and then goes on to narrate an incredible story that includes plot twists, drama, murder and suicide.
The 148-tweet travelogue was detailed in David Kushner's Rolling Stone article "Zola Tells All: The Real Story Behind the Greatest Stripper Saga Ever Tweeted," on which the film is based. Kushner's story, published in November, describes Zola's tale as "Spring Breakers meets Pulp Fiction, as told by Nicki Minaj."
Andrew Neel and Mike Roberts will write the screenplay for the film, and Franco will co-produce the project with Vince Jolivette through their Rabbit Bandini Productions along with Killer Films' Christine Vachon and David Hinojosa and Gigi Films' Gia Walsh and Kara Baker, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
This isn't the first time Franco, Neel and Killer Films have teamed up. They recently worked together on "Goat," which Neel directed and Franco produced. The frat-hazing drama premiered at Sundance and was sold to Paramount Home Media.
