A24 has released the trailer forZola, which starsTaylour PaigeandRileyKeoughas new friends whose trip goes sideways fast.Zolais based onthe viral 2015 Twitter thread written byA’Ziah Kingwhich recounted just how badly a trip she and a friend took to Florida to earn extra money stripping went and how King’s friend was responsible for all the ways the trip went from bad to worse. King’s Twitter thread remains a defining moment in pop culture history and now, withZola, it stands to reason its status as a major cultural event is all but cemented.
The officialZolatrailer arrives seven months after we gotthe first (and brief) teaserand one day after thedebut of the gorgeous posterfor the pic. Based on the trailer,Zolalooks like the spiritual sequel toHarmony Korine’sSpring Breakers(also an A24 release) and I mean that with the best of intentions. Through a grainy lens that adds a potent, dreamy quality to the story that unfolds, theZolatrailer teases a truly nuts tale of featuring Zola (Paige), a Detroit-area waitress who is convinced to take a trip to Florida with new friend Stefani (Keough) to earn money stripping at a club where, according to the word on the street, dancers can pick up great tips. Zola and Stefani’s trip quickly derails as Stefani keeps putting the pair into riskier and riskier situations — something Zola is definitely not okay with. And while the story being teased in theZolatrailer is certainly enticing, it’s hard not to focus on the movie’s flashier elements, too, be they magical transitions from location to location, the costumes Zola and Stefani sport, or Keough’s fascinating accent work (which I’m sure only enhances her performance tenfold).
RELATED:‘Zola’ Review: Janicza Bravo Turns a Wild Twitter Thread Into an Electric Journey
Zolais co-written and directed byJanicza Bravo(Camping,Mrs. America). PlaywrightJeremy O. Harris(Slave Play) serves as a co-writer alongside Bravo. Bravo and Harris' script is based on King’s tweets as well asDavid Kushner’s 2015Rolling Stonearticle breaking down the Twitter thread and King’s side of the story. In addition to Paige and Keough,ZolastarsNicholas Braun,Colman Domingo,Ari’el StachelandJason Mitchell.
Previously dated for June 30,Zolaarrives in theaters this summer with an official date still to be determined. Check out the official trailer below.
Here is the official synopsis and poster forZola:
“From acclaimed writer/director Janicza Bravo, ‘Zola’s stranger than fiction saga, which she first told in a now-iconic series of viral, uproarious tweets, comes to dazzling cinematic life. Zola (Taylour Paige), a Detroit waitress, strikes up a new friendship with a customer, Stefani (Riley Keough), who seduces her to join a weekend of dancing and partying in Florida. What at first seems like a glamorous trip full of ‘hoeism’ rapidly transforms into a 48-hour journey involving a nameless pimp, an idiot boyfriend, some Tampa gangsters and other unexpected adventures in this wild, see-it-to-believe-it tale.”
KEEP READING:‘Zola’: Why Janicza Bravo Took “Secret Pictures” of Taylour Paige While Casting the Film | Sundance Interview
