Netflix is planning to turn the story of an unlikely friendship between a white grandma and a Black guy she accidently invited
to dinner, into a movie after the two formed a bond following the sweet chance happening.According to Variety, the forthcoming movie titled, The Thanksgiving Text will revisit the story that started in 2016 when the grandmother, Wanda Dench mistakenly texted Jamal Hinton, the stranger, thinking it was her grandson.
Dench was sending a text to see if her real grandson would be coming over for Thanksgiving. Instead she accidently texted Hinton who replied. Hinton was a high school senior at the time and accepted her invitation. Ever since that and has been visiting the family every year since.
In a joint written statement, Dench and Hinton said, “We are excited to share our story with the world. 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.”
Dench told TODAY her relationship with Hinton has changed
her life.“Jamal taught me that age made absolutely no difference,” she said last year. “I love all of my grandkids and kids, but we all are different generations and we all reminisce about different things. But when Jamal came along, my husband and I and him and his girlfriend, we would go out to dinner throughout the year together, and we would just lose all track of time.”
“That’s when it dawned on me that there doesn’t have to be a generation gap to have friendships,” she continued. “So now I look at a lot of young people in a different light than I used to and I make it a point to talk and get to know them.
“He’s changed my life a lot; I know that.”
Abdul Williams (“Salt-N-Pepa,” “The Bobby Brown Story”) will be writing the screenplay for The Thanksgiving Text although Netflix has not set a director, nor has it started to cast the film.
Producers already on board include Robert Teitel and George Tillman, Jr. for State Street Pictures, a company whose slate includes “The Hate U Give,” “The Barbershop Franchise” and “Men of Honor.” Lawrence Mott will be the executive producer.