The unexpected friendship between Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton is getting the movie treatment.
Netflix is developing a film based on the story of the Arizona woman who went viral in 2016 after accidentally inviting Hinton to Thanksgiving dinner. Dench had sent a text to the then-teenager, mistakenly believing it was the number for her grandson. Hinton ultimately took her up on the offer and spent Turkey Day with the Denches, sparking a years-long tradition that has continued to nab headlines.
Variety reports the project is titled The Thanksgiving Text.
Hinton responded to the announcement via Twitter on Thursday, expressing his gratitude for everyone who has shown him and Dench support throughout the years.
![Photo of Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench on Thanksgiving 2021.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 203 115"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
“I am very excited to announce our new partnership with Netflix,” he wrote. “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!”
Netflix has tapped Abdul Williams (The New Edition Story, The Bobby Brown Story, and Lottery Ticket) to pen the screenplay. The streamer has yet to cast the project or select its director. State Street Pictures’ Robert Teitel and George Tillman, Jr. are among the film’s producers. Lawrence Mott will executive produce.
“We are excited to share our story with the world,” Dench and Hinton said in a joint statement. “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.”