A24 has released a new trailer for Zola. Starring Riley Keough (Mad Max: Fury Road, Logan Lucky) and newcomer Taylour Paige. Yeah, it’s a movie about strippers. But not just any stripper movie. Surprisingly, it’s based on a viral Twitter feed that was later adapted for the big screen. It’s true that someone telling a story on social media doesn’t often serve as an inspiration to Hollywood. But as this trailer shows, the story told in a series of tweets that day was too juicy to ignore.
The trailer opens with Zola, played by Taylour Paige, and Stephanie, played by Riley Keough, making travel plans even though they’ve only known each other a short time. Zola finds this strange, but she decides to go for it anyway. It doesn’t exactly start innocently, but it doesn’t start from scratch either. It’s just illegal fun. However, it quickly goes off the rails. The trailer doesn’t reveal much of the story. On the contrary, it alludes to much of what is to come. Strip clubs. The money is piling up. Guns. By yelling. Agents. There’s a lot to deal with. Although no weapons are shown, the footage conveys the excitement of the journey, and viewers will be drawn in.
APPROPRIATE: Zola trailer shows epic stripper on big screen on Twitter
The film is written/directed by Janicha Bravo. She previously directed the 2017 film Lemon, as well as episodes of Atlanta, Love and Dear White People. This whole story is from a Twitter saga that transcends fiction. A Twitter user who goes by the name A’Ziah King described in the now famous thread a wild event that took place in 2015. You want to hear the story of why me and the bitch broke up? A long but intriguing thread has begun. A crazy story unfolded with a pimp, guns, an angry guy, and yes, strippers. All this was crazy enough to inspire a film made by a reputable studio. The cast also includes Nicholas Brown (Legacy) and Colman Domingo (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom).
Zola takes on a waitress from Detroit (Taylour Paige) who befriends a customer, Stephanie (Riley Keough). Stephanie convinces her to go dancing and partying in Florida for a weekend. What initially seems like a glamorous trip soon turns into a 48-hour journey involving a nameless pimp, an idiot friend, several Tampa gangsters and other unexpected adventures in a wildly fascinating story.
Last summer, the films were practically non-existent in cinemas, with the exception of Tenet, which didn’t do very well. But as things continue to improve around the world, the studios are getting closer to returning to theaters with a series of solid titles for moviegoers to enjoy. There will be blockbusters, but this one is special. And it also seems like something that could benefit from a theatrical experience. Zola is coming on the 21st. June at A24 in the cinema. Be sure to check out the new trailer.
Topics: Zola