Afterwards, the duo begins their own website and small business "Savvy Super Saver", which helps them sell numerous coupons and generate profit. Connie, JoJo, Simon (Vince Vaughn) and Ken (Paul Walter Hauser) arewhat Aron and I feelwhat we're all often feeling in this life: undervalued and discounted. Authorities eventually traced Ramirezs activity back to 2007. While JoJo is released on bail, Rick visits Connie only so he can admonish her, having been informed by Simon that she and JoJo have defrauded over 240 companies of tens of millions of dollars. The duo bond on their mission, with Simon sympathizing with Ken's unwavering devotion. Kristen Anne Bell (born 1980) is an American actress and singer. Instead, Hauser's character is a loss-prevention officer for a grocery store chain. Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste, playing the lead roles, are as spectacular as ever. I just decided I really wanted to play the curmudgeon nature of the character. They were just two normal women, who felt taken advantage of by major corporations, and genuinely wanted to help other women and families who were struggling. Yes. They contact the hacker who stole JoJos identity, Tempe Tina, and are taken to her secret location, where she instructs the pair on how to conceal their operation and secure their money, suggesting they use JoJos cosmetics brand Back 2 Black to disguise their coupon business. The CIC and some of its members were on location in a mobile command unit watching the bust." Queenpins is a 2021 American comedy film written and directed by Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly. In July of 2012, police raided Ramirez's home andseized more than $25 million worth of fake coupons. According to Coupons in the News, Ramierz started selling counterfeit coupons as early as 2007, and was eventually joined by the other two women. 'Its like Robin Hood,' Howell-Baptiste's character says in the trailer, summing up the coupon fraud plan. Directed and written by Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, the movie stars Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Vince Vaughn, Paul Walter Hauser, and Bebe Rexha. In February of 2013,Ramirez pleaded guilty to counterfeiting, fraud, and illegal control of an enterprise, though a forgery charge was dropped. I just decided I really wanted to play the curmudgeon nature of the character. ', 'These people aren't buying a few coupons from this site,' Officer James Holmes added. Despite the absurdity of the synopsis, believe it or not,Queenpins is based on a true story. In the movie, Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste play Connie and Jojo, a pair of best friends from Phoenix who love extreme couponing. Users had to be 'invited' to join the site, and fans raved about the impossibly good deals, like a coupon for a free pizza worth $7 that would cost shoppers just $1. The idea started just as a way for their two families to make ends meet as they struggled to pay the bills. Queenpins. Because at Coupons In The News, we believe an educated consumer is the best couponer! In July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women in a coupon scam that cost manufacturers roughly $40 million. Her sacrifices have never been appreciated and she has been overlooked by her husband Rick, an IRS senior audit specialist, her loved ones and the rest of society. Fountain and Johnson each pleaded guilty to one charge of counterfeiting. For example, a person could use a $25 coupon to purchase a $15 bag of dog food and receive the difference in cash. However, he doesn't appear to have inspired Vaughn's Kilmurry. According to Time magazine, they went undercover and purchased coupons as part of their effort to locate the source. She was sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for 287 days served, and seven years of supervised probation. Many of the details of the real story have been changed, including the names, but also backstories to make the characters more sympathetic. He also focused more on the character aspect of his part, rather than talking to anyone actually involved in loss prevention. The Coupon Queens cheated as many as 40 major manufacturers (Business Insider). Meanwhile, Ken is partnered with U.S. postal inspector Simon Kilmurry. For diapers and toothpaste. [Resumes eating snacks and looking out the window], Watch Queenpins: Gita Pullapilly & Aron Gaudet On Why Kristen Bell And Kirby Howell-Baptiste Were Right For Their Roles, Watch Queenpins: Kristen Bell On How She Became Involved In The Film, Watch Queenpins: Paul Walter Hauser On What Drew Him To The Film, Watch Queenpins: Kirby Howell-Baptiste On How She Became Involved In The Film, Watch Queenpins: Bebe Rexha On The Experience She's Had So Far Acting In Her First Film. He also focused more on the character aspect of his part, rather than talking to anyone actually involved in loss prevention. Alienated by her uninspiring existence being unemployed and having suffered a miscarriage in an attempt to conceive a child, Connie commiserates with her best friend Joanna "JoJo" Johnson, who has been unable to secure proper employment since having her identity stolen and thus lives with her mother Josephine, attempting to generate revenue by making YouTube videos while being amorously pursued by the local mailman, Earl. No. The ringleader, Robin Ramirez, started selling bogus coupons as far back as 2007, and was eventually joined by accomplices Marilyn Johnson and Amiko Fountain. Couponing goes criminal in the new trailer for Queenpins. Howell-Baptiste previously worked with Bell on Veronica Mars and The Good Place. Details of the true story at the heart of Queenpinswere first revealed in July 2012. The FBI has crooks who commit moremanly crimes to track down. From writer-directors Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, the film stars Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Ba. Though most of their fraudulent earnings have been confiscated, the pair have hundreds of thousands of dollars from their illegal activities stashed away, and JoJo starts a relationship with Earl and relocates to Montenegro, a non-extradition country, where the pair can immediately restart the scam upon Connie's release. Slapstick . Ben Stiller serves as an executive producer under his Red Hour Productions banner. Kiara frowned, watching the usually stoic Ame toss and turn in the driver's seat. And I think it comes from loneliness and feeling isolated and kind of under-utilized or under-appreciated. In Queenpins, its Ken Miller who pleads with the FBI to get involved, but in the end, he ends up working with Vince Vaughns postal inspector character, with the reasoning being that the crime was technically committed via snail mail. Summary: Amelia Watson, a senior but loose cannon, problem child detective of City PD, has to prevent a war. Bebe Rexha is the tech genius, Tempe Tina. The story actually began more than a decade ago, when the women started selling their coupons online. I'd call it a buddy film on a couple of levels: The main characters, Connie and Jo, and then the sub-characters, Simon and Ken. The cast, with Kristen Bell and Paul Walter Hauser, is outstanding The Arizona women, Robin Ramirez, Marilyn Johnson and Amiko Fountain, pleaded guilty, Ramirez to. Shedisplays considerable comedy chopsin films like Bad Momsand is also well-known for her role as Anna inDisney's Frozen franchise. The trios many customers never faced charges but they might have. Vaughn is also currently appearing in the series Curb Your Enthusiasm. After complaining about cereal gone stale, the pair receives dozens of freebies, inspiring them to hatch an illegal coupon club scheme. And it does seem like Queenpinswill take a comedic look at the inequality underpinning the counterfeit coupon market. For the most part, yes. In July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women in a coupon scam that cost manufacturers roughly $40 million. The Arizona coupon ring's leader, Robin Ramirez, rented an aircraft hangar to store her cars, 40-foot speedboat, luxury RV, and various off-road toys. Here's the cast and character guide and the real-life counterparts. [5] In October 2020, Bebe Rexha joined the cast of the film. These companies included Hershey, Procter & Gamble, and the Coupon Information Corporation. She was sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for 287 days served, and seven years of supervised probation. It appeared the women were making so much money, they werent even sure how to spend it all. But thats just Connie and Jojo. And in terms of the crime itself, Queenpins stayed pretty loyal. Your email address will not be published. In Queenpins, its Ken Miller who pleads with the FBI to get involved, but in the end, he ends up working with Vince Vaughns postal inspector character, with the reasoning being that the crime was technically committed via snail mail. The coupons were sold on a site called Savvy Shopper Site, to which interested parties had to be referred or invited directly to use. Queenpins has arrived in theaters and on Paramount+, telling the story of the countrys largest counterfeit coupon scam. But Aron [Gaudet] and Gita [Pullapilly], as storytellers our writer and directors have added so many specific elements of storytelling to this about what Connies career was, what Jojos career was, their circumstances in life in order to create a story that you would root for, and then it sort of goes into the nonfiction aspect that it sort of wasnt maybe as necessary to take on a ton of the real life characteristics of the women.. The scheme came crashing down after forty businesses, including major companies like Proctor & Gamble, Hershey, and PepsiCo, filed fraud complaints. US Postal Inspector Simon Kilmurry (Vince Vaughn) appears to be entirely fictional. But its funny that its gotten so much attention, Lake said. I was very excited when I saw on the front page of the script that was based on a true story. She lives with her mother and is trying to be an entrepreneur with a series of YouTube videos featuring tips on saving. Together, they set up a website called Savvy Super Saver, and eventually make millions of dollars in turn, costing multiple manufacturers millions of dollars. Queenpins' true story is based on the couponing scam designed by three Arizona women: Robin Ramirez, Marilyn Johnson, and Amiko "Amy" Fountain. In May 2019, it was announced Kristen Bell and Leslie Jones had joined the cast of the film, with Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly directing from a screenplay they wrote. "These aren't 50-cent-off coupons. Click here to get in touch, or for information about advertising on the site. See production, box office & company info. It stars Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Paul Walter Hauser, Bebe Rexha, and Vince Vaughn. Just to make him more sympathetic, in addition to the $2 an hour, he has a pregnant wife who also works at the factory. And I just want to play the humanity of the guy while adding some comedic elements to him.. Queenpins is a quirky crime comedy inspired by a trio of women who made millions of dollars in an elaborate coupon scam. But Lake determinedly led his team in pursuing the case. Fountain and Johnson were both sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to a single count of counterfeiting. [13], Last edited on 16 February 2023, at 04:25, "STXfilms' Kristen Bell Coupon Clipping Scam Comedy 'Queenpins' Sells US For $20M+ To Paramount+ & Showtime", "Leslie Jones-Kristen Bell Coupon Caper 'Queenpins' Lands With Rocket Science Cannes", "Vince Vaughn & Paul Walter Hauser Join Comedy 'Queenpins' With Leslie Jones & Kristen Bell", "Kristen Bell & Kirby Howell-Baptiste Coupon Scam Comedy 'Queenpins' Snapped Up By STX Toronto", "Bebe Rexha Joins Kristen Bell in Comedy 'Queenpins', "Dayo Okeniyi, Joel McHale, Nick Cassavetes, Michael Masini, Eduardo Franco, Paul Rust And 3 More Join 'Queenpins'; Jack McBrayer And Annie Mumolo To Cameo", "And so it begins #Queenpins", "STX Dates 'Queenpins', 'National Champions', 'Violence Of Action' & Untitled Guy Ritchie Movie For 2021 & Beyond", "Paul Walter Hauser Quietly Steals Delightful Crime Comedy 'Queenpins', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Queenpins&oldid=1139643182, This page was last edited on 16 February 2023, at 04:25. If you can get an unlimited number of those, think how this grows" (Yahoo Finance). Thats the type of money they had, Sgt. Lets break it down. The cruelty-free sacred oil that will anoint Charles as King: Monarch breaks Coronation Day tradition with 'I have nothing to say to you': Father of Mallory Beach - who was killed in a boat crash while Alex Murdaugh's Alex Murdaugh is seen with his prison buzz cut as he starts two life sentences without parole for killing his Family 'mortified' after being thrown out of Mother Goose panto for bringing their baby with them, after venue Is this Britain's most despicable man? They were ringleader Robin Ramirez (46 at the time of her arrest), Marilyn Johnson (62), and Amiko "Amy" Fountain (42). A pair of housewives create a $40 million coupon scam.A pair of housewives create a $40 million coupon scam.A pair of housewives create a $40 million coupon scam. One local law enforcement official at the time told the news: The opulence and the money was the equivalent of drug cartel-type of stuff. You can't make this stuff up - and the filmmakers didn't have to. The Queenpins true story reveals that there were three women involved in the real-life scheme, not two like in the movie. Real Stories is an ongoing column about the true stories behind movies and TV shows. 17:42 EST 23 Jul 2021. He'd be scary if the film didn't make him the literal butt of the joke. The real Queenpins' mugshots are displayed below. And it seems like the makers of the movie share this sentiment. Hauser previouslyworked with Howell-Baptiste in Cruella and also appeared in I, Tonya. One account had more than $2 million dollars. Those are intriguing issues but themovie is less interested in exploring them than it is giving the queenpins makeovers and silly plot detours involving a militia and extended scatological humor. Will DiGravio is a Brooklyn-based critic, researcher, and video essayist, who has been a contributor at Film School Rejects since 2018. Judge Daniel Martin sentenced her to 24 months, as well as seven years probation. "I am not spending money!" When Phoenix police seized the counterfeit coupons and the women's assets, they discovered computer records that listed all of the customers who had purchased coupons from the women. None of the characters are based on the real individuals involved, Gaudet told Coupons in the News. I have never purchased coupons from a clipping service or an auction site." They joined forces with several other affected companies and hired private investigators to track the source of the fraudulent coupons. Along with paying Procter & Gamble millions of dollars, Ramirez had to serve jail time. Kristen Bell And Kirby Howell-Baptiste Run A Multi-Million Dollar Coupon Scam In The 'Queenpins' Trailer. So even though the events of nearly a decade ago seem like old news to the rest of us, its something the culprits continue to live with. They enjoy their newfound wealth, only to have their criminal enterprise crumble when they are investigated, raided, and arrested. The movie, which premieres September 10, offers a comical take on the true story ofRobin Ramirez, Amiko Fountain, and Marilyn Johnson of Phoenix, Arizona, who were arrested in 2012 for their years-long counterfeitingracket and ordered to pay P&G millions in restitution. As far as the real women involved, stars Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste admit that they never actually met or spoke to the actual minds behind the crime to learn what sparked it. On a message board, one fan raved about paying $7 for a mega pack of Pampers, with no max value meaning a shopper could get more than $50 worth of product free. In a later scene, another postal service worker says they stole 40 million in counterfeit coupons. Indeed, the movie is inspired by a true story, but just how closely does the film follow the events and people its based on? That would be too prestigious for Hauser's wannabe-cop Miller (Hauser borrows from his 2019 performance in Richard Jewell). In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. Upon realizing that they could get a coupon for a free item sent to them just by complaining to the manufacturer, they come up with a plan to smuggle and steal cases of those coupons, to then sell to people. She really likes to watch out the window as we land and it helps calm her down. And thats why they make excuses, he said. Credit: Courtesy STX Films. And I just want to play the humanity of the guy while adding some comedic elements to him.. Not only does Arizona state law forbid convicted criminals from profiting by selling their story, but writer-directors Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly have emphasized that their story is an entirely fictional version of the real thing. That's the psychological illogic of coupons, referred to in the movie as the "coupon high." Produced by Music by Siddhartha Khosla . Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste star in this based-on-a-true-story film about a pair of women whose coupon-counterfeiting operation turned into more than they bargained for. After a shootout breaks out at a jazz club in the heart of town over a 'transaction' gone wrong, the Shrimps of Ocean Street and the Deadbeats of Industrial Way prepare to fight. Lets break it down. Together, they set up a website called Savvy Super Saver, and eventually make millions of dollars in turn, costing multiple manufacturers millions of dollars. There's a reason Bell is making quips about crime. Released in the United States on September 10, 2021 by STXfilms, the film received mixed reviews from critics and was a box office bomb, grossing only $1.2 million against a $20 million production budget. But I I sort of didnt approach it from an occupational standpoint, Houser told TheWrap. Ramirez pleaded guilty to illegal control of an enterprise, counterfeiting and fraud. Coupon enthusiast Jill Cataldo warns, "Even though many places sell coupons online, you should never buy them. -Investigative Consultants. .aspect-ratio-box { height: 0; overflow: hidden; padding-top: calc(720 / 1280 * 100%); background: #f9f9f9; position: relative; margin-bottom:30px; } .aspect-ratio-box-inside { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }, Read original story Queenpins': Heres the Real Story Behind Kristen Bells Crime Comedy At TheWrap, July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women, Queenpins': Heres the Real Story Behind Kristen Bells Crime Comedy, Tom Sizemore, star of 'Saving Private Ryan,' 'Heat,' dies at 61 after brain aneurysm, Josh Hartnett is done talking about his break from Hollywood but ready to make fun of actors: 'We're the worst', Michael B. Jordan admits muscle gain for 'Creed' has been harder as he's gotten older, Billy Bush suggests Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes start their own show after ABC exit: 'They've got something that works', How to watch every Oscars 2023 Best Picture nominee. Two women create a $40 million coupon scam. So they may be the first ones to tell you that coupon crime may make for a great Hollywood comedy but in real life, its no laughing matter. But thats just Connie and Jojo. (67) 6.3 1 h 50 min 2021 X-Ray R. A suburban homemaker and her best friend turn a hobby into a multi-million-dollar counterfeit coupon caper. A look at the counterculture movement that became the religious right. The film revolves around an ordinary suburban housewife's desire to forge her own path, which ultimately leads her to the world of scams. Fountain and Johnson were both sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to a single count of counterfeiting. They start buying things like sports cars, boats, planes, and guns, but Tina then criticizes their overspending and tells them that because their money was always clean, their purchases are just making them look more suspicious, instructing them to withdraw money from the bank in small increments and to sell off all their big purchases. It might have been more interesting to have lead police officer on the case a woman, as it was in the actual arrest. And why Bell and co-star Paul Walter Houser didnt talk to the real people behind the characters they play. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to clean the money theyve made from selling coupons. The counterfeiting scheme was previously featured in theCBS TV docu-series Pink Collar Crimes in 2018. According to Sgt. Yes, like the grocery store coupons that come with the Sunday paper. In researching the Queenpins true story, we learned that Procter & Gamble did an audit of their third-party coupon processors. Why the USPS? Instead, he becomes highly frustrated when the FBI blows off his concerns. The amount covered all of P&G's losses, for the fake coupons as well as extra manpower needed to deal with the issue. In the movie, Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste play Connie and Jojo, a pair of best friends from Phoenix who love extreme couponing. Here . When we're with Connie and JoJo, the tone of "Queenpins" is upbeat and sit-com-y, with Dolly Parton on the soundtrack telling us everything is going to be all right. McHaleis perhaps best known for his role inCommunity, and will next be starring in the series Black Box. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to. It is also revealed that Connie, after numerous unsuccessful attempts to conceive following her miscarriage, is finally pregnant through in vitro fertilization. Ill go out on a limb here and predict that their once noble intentions go off the rails.