Zola inspiration A’Ziah King has a bone to pick with A24. King, whose viral Twitter thread about a trip to Florida served as the inspiration behind the black comedy film Zola, slammed the production company for allegedly failing to invite her to the Independent Spirit Awards and excluding her from being recognized for her contributions to the movie.
The actress took to Twitter over the weekend to share her thoughts on the production company, adding: “I find it hilarious that my brain, trauma, and ability are being overshadowed and exploited.”
A’Ziah later took to Instagram to clarify her comments, telling fans that her beef is with “A24 and A24 only.”
A’Ziah King’s Tweets Inspired Zola
In 2015, A’Ziah King posted a now-infamous Twitter thread that went on to inspire the 2020 A24 film Zola. According to Variety, King’s tweets described her journey with a fellow stripper to Florida. The same incidents were later detailed in Rolling Stone by David Kushner.
Following the Independent Spirit Awards list of nominees for Zola, Queen Latifah is criticizing production company A24 for not getting credit.
‘Real-Life Zola’ Slams A24
The Independent Spirit Awards have announced the list of nominees, with ‘Zola’ earning a number of nods. Only Janicza Bravo and Jeremy O. Harris were nominated as co-screenwriters.
A’Ziah King, who authored the screen-play, criticized A24 on Twitter.
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The ‘real-life Zola’ tweeted: ‘I think it’s hilarious ZOLA is up for 7 awards & no one thought to invite me nor include me IN the writers award category,’ she tweeted, adding, ‘As if there would’ve been a film or a script to write if I didn’t um… write it? The most of any film this year & any film @A24 has EVER made btw.’
However, it now appears that King may be invited after all. She later took to the same Twitter thread to write: “The shade room post a tweet & suddenly I have 2 tickets coming.”
Zola the film garnered seven Independent Spirit Award nominations, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay.
Despite the fact that she did not write the film’s script, King maintains she collaborated on it with Janicza Bravo. According to Us Weekly, despite serving as both writer and director, Bravo also collaborated on the film with Jeremy O. Harris.
In her tweets, she made it clear that she was addressing A24, the independent film company that released Zola in 2021, and no one else. Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges started the group in 2012.
It’s a Denmark-based film and television production company that specializes in film and television distribution, as well as filmmaking. It is behind films such as Euphoria, Uncut Gems, Midsommar, Lady Bird, Moonlight, Ramy, among others.
She continued, ‘Let’s be clear: my beef is with A24 exclusively. Not the creators not the award shows. a24 [sic] is the OP rn [sic]. Nobody else.’
‘I HAVE been credited & I am VERY content with my EP credit! I am in awe of [director] Janicza [Bravo] & Jeremy [O. Harris]’s writing & directing. They deserve & have fought for me for YEARS. However not receiving a invite or even being thought of is the issue,’ King explained.
Several hours later, however, King revealed she had received two tickets.
‘The shade room post a tweet & suddenly I have 2 tickets coming,’ she posted. ‘I bet I do …. I’ll see y’all there.’
King famously began her Twitter thread, which totaled 148 tweets, in October 2015 with the line, ‘Y’all wanna hear a story about why me and this b**ch here fell out? It’s kind of long but full of suspense.’
The thread then resulted in a Rolling Stone article by David Kushner: ‘Zola Tells All: The Real Story Behind the Greatest Stripper Saga Ever Tweeted’, which helped clarify some of the details in the thread; while both were credited as the source material for the adaption’s screenplay.
Zola the film stars Taylour Paige as the titular character, Aziah ‘Zola’ King, along with Riley Keough, Nicholas Braun, Ari’el Stachel and Colman Domingo, among others.
The storyline centers on a waitress/dancer who is seduced into a weekend of stripping in Florida for some quick cash — but the trip becomes a sleepless 48-hour odyssey involving a nefarious friend, her pimp and her idiot boyfriend.
The 37th Independent Spirit Awards, which are being televised in the U.S. on IFC, are being held on March 6.
Fans And Friends Support King
A handful of fans and friends have come forward to support A’Ziah, including co-screenwriter Janicza Bravo.
Bravo wrote: “This movie was dope all because of a Twitter story by [A’Ziah ‘Zola’ King].”
