The trailer for ZOLA, Janicza Bravo’s film based off of a viral Twitter thread, finally dropped. Here’s what we know and what we can’t wait to see.
Written by: Daniella Baltazar – March 31st, 2021 9:35 pm pst
“You wanna hear a story about how me and this bitch here fell out?” We absolutely do! The trailer for ZOLA is finally here! ZOLA, a film that follows a lengthy Twitter thread that went viral in 2015, is being produced by A24 and directed by Janicza Bravo. The film stars Taylour Paige as the titular Zola, and Riley Keough as Stefani, Zola’s wild new friend.
You think you know #TheStory? Watch the new trailer for ZOLA, from director Janicza Bravo, starring @TaylourPaige and based on the life and work of @_zolarmoon.
In Theaters This Summer pic.twitter.com/VD0RGNHced
— A24 (@A24) March 31, 2021
Zola, a waitress in Detroit, strikes up a friendship with a customer, Stefani. The duo bond over pole-dancing, and Stefani immediately invites Zola on a road trip to Florida. The goal, to make as much money as possible dancing in strip clubs. Zola agrees, and she’s swept up in a hypnotic whirlwind of a trip that involves Stefani, her boyfriend Derrek (Nicholas Braun), and Stefani’s pimp, X (Coleman Domingo).
ZOLA is finally coming pic.twitter.com/M6M3mtp5Nj
— Carlos Aguilar (@Carlos_Film) March 30, 2021
The original 148 Twitter thread has created such a buzz that we wanted to share some things we’re excited to see!
Taylour Paige as ZOLA pic.twitter.com/XNVfhJ5Pbp
— GEM (@ROZtheCreator) March 31, 2021
Taylor Paige’s Performance
In the trailer, viewers can already see the nuance and annoyance in Paige’s performance. Full of side-eyes, distressed looks, and agitation, we’re excited to see how Paige brings Zola to life on screen.
It is now clear Riley Keough in AMERICAN HONEY walked so Riley Keough in ZOLA could run pic.twitter.com/X0KNBynNFk
— Zack Sharf (@ZSharf) March 31, 2021
Zola Accepting Stefani’s Offer
One of the boggling factors of the story is how Zola accepts Stefani’s offer to go on a cross-country road trip with strangers. Seeing how that interaction went down is something we cannot wait to see!
Obsessed with the fact that the real life “Zola” was at Sundance last year promoting the film with the cast. pic.twitter.com/YxZ1zjo8OQ
— laila (@lailatweetzx) March 31, 2021
The Infamous Fictional Murder
One of the more bizarre parts of the Twitter thread are the parts that were embellished. The real “Zola” included events that were confirmed to be fictional, or at least exaggerated, including a murder. It’s one of the more outlandish twists, and we wonder how it’ll play it out on the big screen.
cousin greg returning to his roots in Zola pic.twitter.com/OTMRcMKLpX
— Tomb Raider Bangs (@yuckybangs) March 31, 2021
Nicholas Braun As Derrek
And of course, who can forget about Cousin Greg? With a, absurd “We makin’ schmoney,” Nicholaus Braun has already made himself a highlight as Stefani’s dumb boyfriend.
ZOLA certainly has us excited, and we cannot wait to watch this wild ride. As we get closer to a summer release date, keep a watch out for more details!
Daniella Baltazar is a senior at Emerson College currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Media Arts Production with a minor in Global and Post-Colonial Studies. She is a spring 2021 intern for AfterBuzz TV and is hoping to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.
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