Twitter dreams can come true.
What started with a clever tweet and an old photo has Rihanna and Lupita Nyong’o kicking around the idea for a joint film project — and now Selma director Ava DuVernay and HBO’s Insecure writer Issa Rae are jumping on the bandwagon.
The idea sprung from a series of tweets stemming from a 2014 photo of the singer and actress sitting side-by-side at a Miu Miu show during fashion week in Paris. A fan on Twitter captioned the photo, “Rihanna looks like she scams rich white men and Lupita is the computer smart best friend that helps plan the scams.”
Rihanna looks like she scams rich white men and lupita is the computer smart best friend that helps plan the scans https://t.co/PhWs1xd3nj
— k (@1800SADGAL) April 18, 2017
The tweet sparked a firestorm online as fans pleaded with the ladies to make the project happen. Nyong’o was first to respond, tantalizing her followers by tweeting, “I’m down with you are @Rihanna.” Then things reached a fever pitch when the “Work” singer answered, “I’m in Pit’z.” (Pit’z being short for Lupita).
On Friday, Nyong’o even posted a fan poster for the film, writing, “#FanArtFriday @Mythallica giving life to Riri and Pit’z. #CashingIn.”
#FanArtFriday @Mythallica giving life to Riri and Pit'z. #CashingIn pic.twitter.com/c0mpy9d5o2
— Lupita Nyong'o (@Lupita_Nyongo) April 28, 2017
With the ladies’ response, fans started to theorize who should write and direct the dreamt-up caper, with DuVernay and Rae leading the pack. Now, according to DuVernay, all four women on Twitter’s wish list are texting about the idea.
“I was texting with these sisters today, and there were some interesting conversations. So we’ll see what comes,” the director said Monday night during Conversations on Creativity with Questlove hosted at Pratt Institute, according to Essence.
“My Twitter feed is in shambles,” DuVernay added. “I can’t even retweet anymore. It’s so many people over the last four days inundating me with it. It just feels nice like, ‘they like me, they picked me.’ ”
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She continued, “But also, I think the main thing is the idea that the people want a certain kind of film. People want Black women in centered, powerful images that are complex and layered. And that have nuance beyond what we’re relegated to. And they want it from other Black women. They chose Black writers, with Issa. Issa text me like, ‘Yooo!’ She’s on the set of Insecure trying to be insecure. And all this great stuff is happening.
“So it just feels like, wow, this is a moment of Black women centered-ness. It’s an indicator of this voice is valid and it should be amplified. And so, I accept it as that.”
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