STXfilms has bought the worldwide rights to “Queenpins,” a comedy starring Kristen Bell that was inspired by the true story of the largest coupon counterfeit scam in U.S. history.
“Queenpins” will center on the story of a suburban housewife, fed up with being dismissed and overlooked by her husband and society. She decides to take back control of her life by starting an illegal coupon club. Her creation ends up scamming millions of dollars from big food companies while delivering deals to millions of fellow coupon clippers.
Bell will re-team with her “Good Place” and “Veronica Mars” co-star Kirby Howell-Baptiste, as well as Vince Vaughn and Paul Walter Hauser. The film will be directed by the team of Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, who also wrote the script.
“Queenpins” will be distributed in the U.S., U.K. and Ireland by STX, and the studio is launching foreign sales through the Toronto International Film Festival market this week.
Bell previously collaborated with STX on its “Bad Moms” movies along with Mila Kunis and Kathryn Hahn.
“We love everything about this comedy, especially reuniting with our friend Kristen Bell, who is paired perfectly with Kirby Howell-Baptiste — we know they’ve got great chemistry, and Kirby has shown she is a master of this kind of comedy in ‘Why Women Kill,’” said Adam Fogelson, chairman of the STXfilms Motion Picture Group.
“Queenpins” will be produced by AGC Studios, Marquee Entertainment and Red Hour Films. AGC’s Linda McDonough will produce alongside Red Hour’s Nicky Weinstock. AGC Studios chairman Stuart Ford and Miguel A. Palos, Jr. will executive produce alongside Ben Stiller and Breean Solberg of Red Hour. The project was developed by McDonough under her Marquee Entertainment banner prior to joining AGC earlier this year.
Bell recently wrapped four seasons of NBC’s “The Good Place” and reprised her voice role as Princess Anna in “Frozen 2.” She recently released her children’s book “The World Needs Purple People.” Bell is repped by CAA and James S. Adams at Schreck, Rose, Dapello, Adams, Berlin, & Dunham.
Howell-Baptiste has had recurring roles on HBO’s “Barry” and “The Good Place.” She starred in the first season of the CBS All Access series “Why Women Kill”, the first season of BBC America’s “Killing Eve” and ABC’s “Downward Dog.” She is represented by CAA, Mosaic, Sarah Stephenson in the U.K. and Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobasser Younger & Light.
Gaudet and Pullapilly are best known for their Emmy-nominated feature documentary “The Way We Get By.” They made their narrative film debut with “Beneath the Harvest Sky,” for which they were selected for Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch. They also created the U.S.–India Film Initiative, formed to foster an exchange of ideas between Hollywood and Bollywood. They are represented by CAA and Kim Hodgert at Anonymous Content.