Hailey van Braam
Netflix will invest in anything it sees fit to be on the screen, but in a good way!
The story begins six years ago on Thanksgiving 2016, when Wanda Dench, a resident of Arizona, sent a text to the wrong number to a guy who was supposed to be her grandson. But her accidental text turned into a miracle with the recipient, Jamal Hinton a 17-year-old high school senior at the time, accepting her invitation. They have since carried on their cordial tradition, taking snaps for each year they got together for Thanksgiving.
The Thanksgiving Text
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! 🎥🍾 pic.twitter.com/0heCmEWMDM
— Jamal Hinton (@Jamalhinton12) December 2, 2021
Hinton tweeted earlier today that he was excited to partner with Netflix to tell their story on the big screen. On November 26, he posted a photo to mark 2021’s Thanksgiving with the quote, ‘Today marks our 6th Thanksgiving together.’
Today marks our 6th Thanksgiving together💛 pic.twitter.com/6xas8EVsiM
— Jamal Hinton (@Jamalhinton12) November 25, 2021
In an interview with Briana Whitney, an Emmy-Award winning Reporter from Arizona’s Family, Dench and Hinton said that their friendship has grown since their first Thanksgiving, celebrating birthdays and graduations together. Unfortunately, Dench lost her husband to COVID-19 last year.
The Accidental Friendship Almost Never Happened
The beautiful friendship between Dench and Hinton wouldn’t have happened had Dench not responded to Hinton’s reply message, saying that though he wasn’t the right recipient, he would still attend. Their raw and simple story that knows no boundaries of race, age or background is what has helped contour a truly amazing friendship.
We hope Netflix will help to reflect their story to the international audience.
Will Dench and Hinton Star in Netflix’s Film?
As of now, there are no updates on whether the story’s players will star in the movie. The film will, however, be produced by George Tillmam Jr. for State Street Pictures and written by Robert Teitel. Hinton plans to pursue acting, so being featured in the film would jumpstart his on-screen career.
