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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. Queenpins is Rexha's first major acting role. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. David Lake, who led the Phoenix Police Departments investigation, told KPHOat the time. Others nabbed coupons for free pet food, diapers, and household goods from as many as 40 major manufacturers, including PepsiCo and Hershey. She has previously appeared with Bell on Bad Moms, buther claim to fame has been in screenwriting. Hauser previouslyworked with Howell-Baptiste in Cruella and also appeared in I, Tonya. Queenpins: Dirigido por Aron Gaudet, Gita Pullapilly. It stars Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Paul Walter Hauser, Bebe Rexha, and Vince Vaughn. [10], On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 47% based on 62 reviews with an average rating of 5.40/10. Authorities also seized twenty-two assault weapons and twenty-one vehicles, including a forty-foot boat, in the raid. Of course, the trailer also shows them later living in luxury and boarding private jets. He described digging through trash cans, conducting surveillance, and ultimately kicking in the doors of the three womens homes, where they found a treasure trove of evidence coupons, cash, guns, along with what they later discovered was an airplane hangar filled with sports cars, a fully decked-out RV and a 40-foot speedboat. Unilever also claimed losses, pointing to five particular coupons that had been founded in Ramirezs home, though a judge ruled that they couldn't prove that the three women were responsible for selling them. These companies included Hershey, Procter & Gamble, and the Coupon Information Corporation. Bebe Rexha is the tech genius, Tempe Tina. The amount covered all of P&G's losses, for the fake coupons as well as extra manpower needed to deal with the issue. The trailer for Queenpinsincludes audio of Bell and Howell-Baptistes characters calling out systemic inequality and likening themselves to Robin Hood. And I think it comes from loneliness and feeling isolated and kind of under-utilized or under-appreciated. Together, they set up a website called Savvy Super Saver, and eventually make millions of dollars in turn, costing multiple manufacturers millions of dollars. The opening scenes show Bell's character getting arrested before a flashback to explain what happened. Here's the cast and character guide and the real-life counterparts. Connie initially comes up with the couponing scheme, eventuallyteaming up with her friend to help her pull off the biggest coupon scam in U.S. history. The other queenpin is Connie's neighbor and close friend JoJo (Howell-Baptiste), who was a victim of identity theft that ruined her credit and her ability to apply for jobs. Kirby Howell-Baptiste co-stars as JoJo Johnson, an aspiring YouTube vlogger and Connie's partner in crime. After he retired from the force, he took what he had learned from this case and others like it to found the Center on Shadow Economics, which works to mitigate the economic impact of black market crimes like counterfeit couponing. The real-life Queenpins thought that the similar name would make their scheme appear more legitimate. His filmography contains works such as Face/Off, The Astronaut's Wife, and The Hangover Part II, and he will next be appearing inThe Ogilvy Fortune. [1] It was released on September 10, 2021. After a particularly frustrating day, Connie writes a complaint letter to General Mills about the Wheaties she ate being stale, and soon, she receives a coupon for a free box of cereal. Slapstick . 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. You know what, I bet if a better actor were playing Ken Miller, thered probably be a little fine tooth combing involved with the world of loss prevention. In real life, the Phoenix Police Department led the investigation with the assistance of the FBI. 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. In researching the Queenpins true story, we learned that Procter & Gamble did an audit of their third-party coupon processors. Autumn Cejer is a Movie/TV Features Writer for Screen Rant. Queenpins has arrived in theaters and on Paramount+, telling the story of the countrys largest counterfeit coupon scam. But all were ordered to pay nearly $1.3 million in restitution to Procter & Gamble, just one of the many manufacturers whose coupons they counterfeited and sold. she says. But thats just Connie and Jojo. "We're Robin Hood," the queenpins reassure themselves. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to clean the money theyve made from selling coupons. Some customers became aware of the bust after they tried to use the coupons and they didn't work. David Lake, who was in charge of the coupon investigation at the Phoenix Police Department, "The opulence and the money was the equivalent of drug cartel-type stuff." Queenpins Writers Balance Comedic Tone with Real-Life Drama in Coupon Caper By: Shanee Edwards Kirby Howell-Baptiste as JoJo Johnson and Kristen Bell as Connie Kaminski in QUEENPINS. Carly Stern For Dailymail.com The trail led to the Arizona coupon ring located in Phoenix. Bell has extensive experience in Broadway, television, and film, leading successful TV series like Veronica Mars and The Good Place. Postal Inspector lead the investigation into their activities, encountering multiple humorous setbacks along the way. Required fields are marked *. She was most likely added to the script for comedic reasons in order to frame Connie and JoJo as being in over their heads and desperately needing outside help. Thats the type of money they had, Sgt. But thats just Connie and Jojo. After tracing the origins of the ring to Phoenix, the FBI then teamed up with local law enforcement to bust the group. He also doesn't work closely with the FBI. 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.. And in terms of the crime itself, Queenpins stayed pretty loyal. Details of the true story at the heart of Queenpinswere first revealed in July 2012. After complaining about cereal gone stale, the pair receives dozens of freebies, inspiring them to hatch an illegal coupon club scheme. A pair of housewives create a $40 million coupon scam. 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. Counterfeit Coupon Ringleader Pleads Guilty - Coupons in the News, Woman spends $600 on SavvyShopperSite.com fake coupons - Jill Cataldo. Credit: Courtesy STX Films "They're also some of the best writers I've ever worked with. 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. Despite the absurdity of the synopsis, believe it or not,Queenpins is based on a true story. Husband-and-wife filmmakers Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly did fly to Arizona in 2018 to interview the real detective who worked the case. 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. That's one reasonbeyond saving moneythe scam was so successful. However, they quickly learned that with a little crime, they could actually make money off of it. Ben Stiller serves as an executive producer under his Red Hour Productions banner. Shedisplays considerable comedy chopsin films like Bad Momsand is also well-known for her role as Anna inDisney's Frozen franchise. The ringleader, Robin Ramirez, started selling bogus coupons as far back as 2007, and was eventually joined by accomplices Marilyn Johnson and Amiko Fountain. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. And in terms of the crime itself, Queenpins stayed pretty loyal. "These aren't 50-cent-off coupons. And I think it comes from loneliness and feeling isolated and kind of under-utilized or under-appreciated. We're all looking for a loophole to find our joy and happiness in life." In real life, the FBI did get involved, along with the non-profit Coupon Information Center. Ill go out on a limb here and predict that their once noble intentions go off the rails. Mumolo was an Academy Award-nominated screenwriter for the romantic comedy Bridesmaids. Although both women also had to financially reimburse P&G, they did not have to serve jail time for their part in the scheme. The two women in the movie, Connie Kaminski (Kristen Bell) and JoJo Johnson (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), are not directly based on any of the real-life women.Kristen Bell's character's background of being a former Olympic race walker who turns to couponing after having no luck getting pregnant (and spending tens of thousands on in vitro treatments) is fictional, as is Kirby Howell-Baptiste's character's unsuccessful efforts to make it as a vlogger. They were charged with counterfeiting, forgery, operating an illegal enterprise, money laundering, and other violations. Queenpins' cast of characters also includes familiar faces like Bebe Rexha, Vince Vaughn, and Joel McHale in supporting roles. Netherlands ($200,244), United Arab Emirates ($123,281), Hungary ($88,609), Croatia ($41,810), Lithuania ($18,354), Iceland ($11,774), South Africa ($5,900) and Portugal ($5,501). She was born and raised in Huntington Woods, Michigan, and is the daughter of Lorelei (Frygier), a nurse, and Tom Bell, a television news director. 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. The Arizona coupon ring's leader, Robin Ramirez, and her accomplices, Marilyn Johnson and Amiko Fountain, were arrested in July of 2012. But I I sort of didnt approach it from an occupational standpoint, Houser told TheWrap. 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. Which brings us to Queenpins, a based-on-a-true-story comedy about the suburbanite besties behind the largest coupon counterfeit scam in U.S. history. Because at Coupons In The News, we believe an educated consumer is the best couponer! David Lake, who led the Phoenix Police Departments investigation, told KPHOat the time. Thats the type of money they had, Sgt. Savvy Shopper Site had a few other suspicious requirements. In July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women in a coupon scam that cost manufacturers roughly $40 million. The film's largely painful humor is informed by the mistaken belief that the main characters' criminal enterprise is inherently quirky. Here's the cast and character guide and the real-life counterparts. Because they arent exactly hardened criminals, they think that the money theyve made through their shell company has to be laundered, so they bought all these high priced items with the intent to just immediately resell them. The Coupon Queens cheated as many as 40 major manufacturers (Business Insider). Couponing goes criminal in the new trailer for Queenpins. Ramirez pleaded guilty to counterfeiting, fraud, and illegal control of an enterprise. But I I sort of didnt approach it from an occupational standpoint, Houser told TheWrap. Some of the coupon enthusiasts featured on the TLC show Extreme Couponing routinely purchased coupons from clipping services.In response to the Arizona coupon counterfeiting ring that inspired the Queenpins movie, the CIC's Bud Miller stated, "Coupon buyers expose themselves to the possibility of becoming involved with counterfeits, stolen property, or other criminal activities. 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 were both sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to a single count of counterfeiting. Queenpins. The filmmakers, Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, chose not to interview the real Queenpins for the movie. Singer-songwriter Bebe Rexha makes her feature film debut in the Queenpins movie. If you can get an unlimited number of those, think how this grows" (Yahoo Finance). In July of 2012, police raided Ramirez's home andseized more than $25 million worth of fake coupons. 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. The comedy Queenpins features a talented cast coming together to tell a crazy true story. A quarter of the U.S. will fall inside an extreme heat belt. This film wasn't deep, and at times it stretched credibility, but it was fun and engaging. Ben Stiller serves as an executive producer under his Red Hour Productions banner. Marilyn Johnson, 54, Robin Ramirez, 40, and Amiko Fountain, 42, were taken into custody, and in a press conference, police said a search warrant served resulted in the seizing of $40 million worth of coupons and $2 million worth of assets from the womens homes, including $240,000 in vehicles, 22 guns, and a 40-foot speedboat. [12] Hauser's performance as fraud specialist Ken Miller received praise from critics who praised his onscreen chemistry with Vaughn while noting that the film established him as a comedic actor after his breakthrough role in 2019's Richard Jewell. And I just want to play the humanity of the guy while adding some comedic elements to him.. Yes, like the grocery store coupons that come with the Sunday paper. , updated The opulence and the money was the equivalent of drug cartel-type of stuff. Ramirez pleaded guilty to illegal control of an enterprise, counterfeiting and fraud. JoJo combines two people in real life:Amiko Fountain and Marilyn Johnson. Perhaps the most telling sign that things weren't on the up-and-up was the fact that the site advised, "Please do not share this information with people that you don't actually know.

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