Twitter Makes a Movie

In 2018, Netflix will begin production on a new project. Ava Duvernay will direct the movie starring Lupita Nyong'o and Rihanna, with a script written by HBO star Issa Rae. The project is getting a lot of buzz, in no small part because the idea first came to be thanks to Twitter.

Source: http://ksassets.timeincuk.net/wp/uploads/sites/55/2017/04/rihanna-lupita-042417-1-920x584.jpg

Here's what happened: in 2014, someone took a photo (above) of Lupita and Rihanna sitting next to each other at a fashion show. Twitter users heavily retweeted the picture, with one user commenting that the picture looked like the two celebrities were a couple of genius scammers. Others on Twitter ran with the idea, agreeing that the idea was a movie they'd love to see. The discussion was so widespread that it caught the attention of Lupita and Rihanna, who then tweeted that they'd be interested in making such a film.

Fast forward to the 2017 Cannes Film Festival where a dramatic negotiation session reportedly took place, and the film is becoming reality. Netflix signed on for the idea. While the project is in its early stages and thus minimal information has been released, Twitter users are ecstatic. By the time the movie comes out on Netflix, the anticipation will be unprecedented.

It shocked me at first that an actual movie came out of some Twitter users discussing a photo, but the more I think about it, the more it makes perfect sense. Platforms like Netflix and Hulu (and perhaps even television networks) could benefit from keeping a close eye on Facebook and Twitter, where users are increasingly talking about exactly what sort of film and television they want to see. Rather than production companies working to predict consumer interests, they can hear from the consumers themselves. Of course, it's not that simple--social media users will inevitably have an unimaginable wealth of opposing ideas, and it's not so easy to turn all those ideas into a reality. Still, it's a production method worth considering, because it also makes things easier in terms of marketing. The marketing team for for Lupita and Rihanna's movie will have an easy road ahead, with Twitter users already creating enough buzz around the film to get people to tune in.