Netflix Movie About Grandma And Teen's Viral Thanksgiving Tradition In The Works

Published December 3, 2021

Over the past six years, people throughout the internet have had a lot of chances to hear about one of the most wholesome and enduring friendships around that all started with a simple text sent to the wrong number.

And while viral moments like this are often appreciated during their brief moment in the sun, fans are more invested in the the story of one Arizona grandma and the man she now shares every Thanksgiving with than ever.

The pair and their respective families kept the tradition going this year, but it seems that this isn't the only news to come from the beloved duo recently.

Because six years after that first text was sent, their story seems to have caught the eye of Netflix, which is set to turn their tale into a movie.

For those who are unaware, the story of 64-year-old Wanda Dench and 22-year-old Jamal Hinton began when she thought she was texting her 24-year-old grandson.

Instagram | @jamalhinton12

And while Hinton was amused at the mistake at first, the fact that Dench was willing to make a plate for him anyway when she realized who he was made him want to meet her for real.

As he told People, "I just got a vibe from her that made me feel at home."

And that vibe was clearly mutual as the pair hit it off so well during their first meeting that they decided to turn ttheir chance encounter into a Thanksgiving tradition.

Twitter | @Jamalhinton12

And as Hinton and Dench got closer, so too did Hinton's partner Mikaela and Dench's husband Lonnie form some new bonds of their own.

Sadly, those bonds would have to overcome a tragedy after Lonnie passed away in April of 2020 after contracting COVID-19.

But this year, it heartened the pair's followers to see that they were there for each other more than ever during those hard times as they reconnected for their sixth year together in a row.

Twitter | @Jamalhinton12

We can see that Lonnie's memory was a major focus of this year's reunion, but it also saw Hinton bring his own family to "Grandma Wanda's" house so she could spend Thanksgiving in the company of friends.

But while we may have thought that this would be all we'd hear from them until next year, Hinton came through with a surprise announcement on December 2.

As he stated in the tweet we see here, Netflix is apparently set to turn his and Dench's story into a movie called "The Thanksgiving Text."

According to Today, the movie doesn't have a director or cast in place at the time of this writing, but is being written by Abdul Williams — who has written biopics about Salt-N-Pepa and Bobby Brown — and is being produced by State Street Pictures.

Hinton and Dench expressed their excitement for the movie in a joint statement, saying, "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."

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