Netflix Is Turning This Sweet Online Exchange Into A Movie
Even if people don't recognize their names, just about everyone on the planet has probably heard the story of Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench. It all started a few days before Thanksgiving 2016 when Dench accidentally sent Hinton a text, attempting to invite her grandson over for Thanksgiving dinner. Hinton, realizing Dench's mistake, jokingly asked her for a selfie in response. Still thinking she was texting her grandson, Dench obliged the request and was shocked when Hinton sent her a photo of himself, with an accompanying text that said, "You not my Grandma."
A few moments later, having acknowledged each other's real identities, Hinton sent another text that said, "Can I still get a plate tho [sic]?" It wasn't long before Dench replied, "Of course you can. That's what grandma's [sic] do... feed everyone." When Hinton posted screenshots of the exchange online, the post went viral (via Twitter). And thus began a Thanksgiving tradition that continues to this day. Hinton has posted pictures of their families' shared Thanksgiving meals on Twitter every year since.
Fans of the story will be excited to hear that Netflix is developing something special to continue to celebrate the long-running tradition. While you might not be able to watch your favorite "Friends" Thanksgiving episodes on Netflix anymore, the streaming giant has new plans that will be sure to keep you watching while the turkey cooks.
A movie is in the early stages of development
According to Variety, Netflix is in the early stages of development on a new movie called "The Thanksgiving Text," which will retell the real-life events of the happy accident. No cast members for the upcoming project have been announced, but the streaming platform is already lining up behind-the-scenes crew members. Producers on the project include Lawrence Mott, Robert Teitel, and George Tillman, Jr., while Abdul Williams is taking on script-writing duties.
Also per Variety, Hinton and Dench released a joint statement that reads as follows:
"We are excited to share our story with the world. We hope it inspires more people to reach out and make connections that they wouldn't ordinarily make. We are so blessed to find a genuine friendship brought together by God from a mistaken text message."
In a tweet posted to the same Twitter account that first brought the story to the world, Hinton said, "I am very excited to announce our new partnership with Netflix. We thank every single one of you for your love and support in our journey the last 6 years. We can't wait to tell our story on the big screen!"
Who knows? Next year, we might all have to update our lists of favorite Thanksgiving movies.