Netflix’s upcoming film The Thanksgiving Text may have a familiar plot. If you’ve been spending time on social media at any point during the Thanksgiving holiday season for the past six years, you may be aware of a certain viral feel-good story about a yearly tradition that all started from an accidental text. Six years ago, Wanda Dench, a grandmother in Arizona, had meant to send a text message to her grandson inviting him over for Thanksgiving dinner. It turns out she inadvertently texted total stranger Jamal Hinton, who was a high school senior at the time — and he accepted the invitation.
In the original text sent to Jamal, Wanda included the dinner invitation, and she sent along a selfie when Jamal asked who sent the text. Jamal responded back that he wasn’t her grandson, but asked if he could still “get a plate.” As a grandmother, Wanda happily obliged, inviting the young man to come over anyway and noting, “That’s what grandma’s do… Feed everyone.” As the years have gone by, Wanda and Jamal have turned this into a yearly tradition, enjoying Thanksgiving meals together every year since. If you thought at any point that it was the kind of feel-good story that would make for a perfect movie, you weren’t alone, as Netflix had the same idea.
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Per Variety, Netflix has noticed the attention this story receives every year, especially around Thanksgiving. Both have been sharing new photos each year as the tradition grows stronger, and it’s consistently gotten media coverage and widespread social media shares. Sadly, Wanda’s husband of 42 years, Lonnie Dench, died last year due to COVID-19 complications, and the hashtag #RIPLONNIE was trending around Thanksgiving as followers of the story were missing him in the photos.
The whole story will be told in The Thanksgiving Text at Netflix. Abdul Williams (Salt-N-Pepa, The Bobby Brown Story) is writing the script for the movie. A director hasn’t yet been set and no cast members are currently attached to the project. Producers include Robert Teitel and George Tillman Jr. for State Street Pictures with Lawrence Mott executive producing.
“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,” Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton said in a joint statement. “We are so blessed to find a genuine friendship brought together by God from a mistaken text message.”
Previously, Jamal Hinton spoke about the story in a People interview and why he accepted the offer. He said, “It was so unexpected, but she was just so sweet about it. It was a reminder that there are still some good people left in this world… She is a very sweet lady, she told me her husband was a veteran and she always invited his friends over for dinner, so she’s used to having a lot of people over. I just got a vibe from her that made me feel at home.”
Netflix hasn’t yet revealed a release date for The Thanksgiving Text and it’s unclear when production on the project will begin. This news comes to us from Variety.
