On the real Queenpins website, SavvyShopperSite.com, they sold free-product coupons, with the caveat that you must spend at least $50 on coupons per order. Indeed, the movie is inspired by a true story, but just how closely does the film follow the events and people its based on? They enjoy their newfound wealth, only to have their criminal enterprise crumble when they are investigated, raided, and arrested. Once there, buyers would have access to an array of high-dollar coupons. The women sold their counterfeit coupons on various online sites, including eBay and their own website, SavvyShopperSite.com. 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. Police in Phoenix, Arizona, announced the arrest of three women after they confiscated more than $25 million worth of fake coupons in a raid. If you can get an unlimited number of those, think how this grows" (Yahoo Finance). Indeed, the movie is inspired by a true story, but just how closely does the film follow the events and people its based on? Kirby Howell-Baptiste co-stars as JoJo Johnson, an aspiring YouTube vlogger and Connie's partner in crime. Yes. Thats why they say Robin Hood, thats why they say the fat cats on Wall Street deserve it, thats why they say these corporations are evil. Not because they believe any of that, but so they dont feel guilty about their own actions. His message to coupon wrongdoers is, yes, you got a good deal. Then-forty-year-old Robin Ramirez led the group, which included Marilyn Johnson, then-fifty-four, and Amiko Amy Fountain, then-forty-two. Bud Miller, who was the Executive Director of the Coupon Information Corporation (CIC), told money-saving columnist Jill Cataldo, "Initial contact was made by a SWAT team removing the front door of a residence by force. 'They're buying bunches, and they're redeeming them in bunches.'. Queenpins Cast And Character Guide: Where You Know The Actors From In a later scene, another postal service worker says they stole 40 million in counterfeit coupons. Okeniyi appeared in The Hunger Games and Run Sweetheart Run, and his next role is in Greek Freak. Queenpins is a quirky crime comedy inspired by a trio of women who made millions of dollars in an elaborate coupon scam. 'Queenpins' Plot Summary They included coupons for anything from Hershey bars to dog food to diapers. Yes, like the grocery store coupons that come with the Sunday paper. Queenpins is Rexha's first major acting role. The true story behind Queenpins reveals that the women bought them in bulk overseas and then posted them for sale on sites like eBay and their own website, SavvyShopperSite.com, which is now defunct. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to clean the money theyve made from selling coupons. [5] In October 2020, Bebe Rexha joined the cast of the film. Fountain and Johnson both still live and work in the Phoenix area, in professions that have nothing to do with coupons. In February of 2013,Ramirez pleaded guilty to counterfeiting, fraud, and illegal control of an enterprise, though a forgery charge was dropped. In addition, the scenes involving the gun sale include short appearances by co-director Aron Gaudet's brother Nick as a barista, as well as actor and director Nick Cassavetes as the leader of the group buying the guns. Queenpins is a 2021 American comedy film written and directed by Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly. The ladies account is frozen due to suspicious activity, so Connie realizes they need to prove their business is legitimate. See production, box office & company info. Follow and/or unfollow him on Twitter. Before playing Agent Park, he was inTalladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,Wreck-It Ralph, Bob's Burgers, and many others. Ame shielded her eyes from the sunlight, "It's just that it's been a while since I've been on duty at daytime.". However, he doesn't appear to have inspired Vaughn's Kilmurry. This is based on the true story of three women: Robin Ramirez, Marilyn Johnson, and Amiko "Amy" Fountain. Credit: Courtesy STX Films "They're also some of the best writers I've ever worked with. When Connie discovers that a complaint letter about stale cereal earned her a coupon for a free box, it's a short road to finding a $2 an hour employee at the Mexico coupon printing plant (moved from the US to save money) who is willing to send them extras. Capitalism always knows how to win. 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. The amount covered all of P&G's losses, for the fake coupons as well as extra manpower needed to deal with the issue. [4] In September 2020, Kirby Howell-Baptiste joined the cast of the film, replacing Jones, with Ben Stiller joining as an executive producer under his Red Hour Productions banner, with STX Entertainment set to distribute. It was then that they learned of the fakes that were in circulation. But I I sort of didnt approach it from an occupational standpoint, Houser told TheWrap. And in terms of the crime itself, Queenpins stayed pretty loyal. For example, a person could use a $25 coupon to purchase a $15 bag of dog food and receive the difference in cash. And where does that curmudgeonly frame come from? Queenpins: Dirigido por Aron Gaudet, Gita Pullapilly. According to Time magazine, they went undercover and purchased coupons as part of their effort to locate the source. They also turned to the Coupon Information Corporation. The real Queenpins' mugshots are displayed below. Tellingly, the changes to the details of the real law enforcement and private investigators make them less sympathetic. Queenpins | Official Trailer [HD] | In Theaters September 10 - YouTube The last 20 minutes lose sight of whatever point they are trying to make beyond the fun of seeing people get away with breaking the rules. 110 minutes Cast Kristen Bell Kirby Howell-Baptiste as JoJo Paul Walter Hauser Vince Vaughn Joel McHale Bebe Rexha as Tempe Tina Dayo Okeniyi Nick Cassavetes Michael Masini Paul Rust Eduardo Franco Marc Evan Jackson Lidia Porto Greta Oglesby Jack McBrayer Annie Mumolo Director Aron Gaudet Queenpins has arrived in theaters and on Paramount+, telling the story of the countrys largest counterfeit coupon scam. Had their deals been a little worse, maybe the women would have never gotten caught. The film revolves around an ordinary suburban housewife's desire to forge her own path, which ultimately leads her to the world of scams. They were ringleader Robin Ramirez (46 at the time of her arrest), Marilyn Johnson (62), and Amiko "Amy" Fountain (42). I just decided I really wanted to play the curmudgeon nature of the character. "I am not spending money!" Thats the type of money they had, Sgt. And where does that curmudgeonly frame come from? 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. [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. Indeed, the movie is inspired by a true story, but just how closely does the film follow the events and people its based on? The Queenpins true story reveals that there were three women involved in the real-life scheme, not two like in the movie. The filmmakers, Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, chose not to interview the real Queenpins for the movie. Kristen Bell, her The Good Place co-star Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and singer Bebe Rexha are set to star in an upcoming comedy calledQueenpins, in which they play a trio of women who make bank in a coupon counterfeiting scam but the massive real-life fraud that inspired the film was no laughing matter. 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. And after reading the script and falling massively in love with it, because it was such a grounded comedy, I did some research about these women. 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). Un par de amas de casa crean una estafa de cupones de 40 millones de dlares. Though the pair face forty-years-to-life, the companies that they victimized clandestinely press the courts for leniency to avoid bad press, resulting in ten days imprisonment plus one year of probation for JoJo and eleven months incarceration (parole eligible in eight) for Connie. 'We gotta steal these coupons and sell them to families who really need them. 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. The ring used a series of twelve different bank accounts to house their money. Ramirezs case was back before a judge as recently as July, when her probation officer reported she was falling behind on her share of the nearly $1.3 million in restitution payments she and her cohorts were ordered to pay. Is Queenpins on Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, or Prime? Now that theyve done their time and are working to pay off their debt, the women appear to be trying to put the incident behind them. The movie takes a more lighthearted angle on the real story, having to combine ortweak some of the people involved in order towork better as a film. For diapers and toothpaste. Yes, a bear actually did consumer millions of dollars worth of cocaine. Despite the absurdity of the synopsis, believe it or not,Queenpins is based on a true story. They were also ordered to pay Proctor & Gamble more than $1.2 million. Instead, Hauser's character is a loss-prevention officer for a grocery store chain. A trailer released this month shows how a suburban housewife (Bell) and her coupon vlogger friend (Howell-Baptiste) come up with a scheme to sell fake coupons online, earning them millions of dollars while contributing to costly losses for brands like Proctor & Gamble andUnilever. On the case to bust them: a supermarket's. As the Time article notes, couponing became popular not only in the wake of reality television shows like TLCs Extreme Couponing but also due to the economic reality in the wake of the Great Recession. 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. And I think it comes from loneliness and feeling isolated and kind of under-utilized or under-appreciated. There's a reason Bell is making quips about crime. That would be too prestigious for Hauser's wannabe-cop Miller (Hauser borrows from his 2019 performance in Richard Jewell). A Loss Prevention Officer and U.S. Con Kristen Bell, Lidia Porto, Joel McHale, Kirby. In July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women in a coupon scam that cost manufacturers roughly $40 million. Next:Q-Force Cast & Character Guide: Where You Know The Actors From. If you can get an unlimited number of those, think how this grows. Its that simple. Rexha's character helps Connie and JoJo evade the authorities, mainly by strengthening their internet security. 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. She also was ordered to pay restitution of up to $5 million. Produced by Music by Siddhartha Khosla . The duo bond on their mission, with Simon sympathizing with Ken's unwavering devotion. In July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women in a coupon scam that cost manufacturers roughly $40 million. The trailer for Queenpinsincludes audio of Bell and Howell-Baptistes characters calling out systemic inequality and likening themselves to Robin Hood. He also focused more on the character aspect of his part, rather than talking to anyone actually involved in loss prevention. 'Queenpins': Here's the Real Story Behind Kristen Bell's - Yahoo! And they get a monthly reminder every time they make their latest restitution payment. Having had enough of his lack of support, she declares that she wants a divorce. 17:23 EST 23 Jul 2021 The comedy Queenpins features a talented cast coming together to tell a crazy true story. A look at the counterculture movement that became the religious right. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. 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. Kristen Anne Bell (born 1980) is an American actress and singer. Queenpins Cast & Character Guide: Where You Know The Actors From So will Robin Ramirez, Amiko Fountain and Marilyn Johnson be going to see Queenpins this weekend? 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. Their script is so nuanced and the words are chosen so perfectly. 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. They interview people from grocery stores that the ladies frequent, almost all of whom recognize Connie due to her constantly irritating coupon usage, even successfully linking her to the "Savvy Super Saver" website as she uses its slogan while shopping. And in terms of the crime itself, Queenpins stayed pretty loyal. Ramirez, then 40, Fountain, then 42, and Johnson, then 54, were arrested andcharged with counterfeiting, forgery, money laundering, operating an illegal enterprise, and other crimes. (edited by) Casting By Ben Harris Allison Jones Production Design by Jennifer Klide Art Direction by Adri Siriwatt Costume Design by Julie Carnahan Makeup Department Production Management Mike Upton . She was sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for 287 days served, and seven years of supervised probation. No. This is much more inspired So we dont really know anything about the real players and we kind of didnt want to. 'Queenpins' Summary & Ending, Explained - Digital Mafia Talkies 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. That's not how the world works y'know. July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women, 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. Neither of them responded to requests for comment about their case, and how or whether they have managed to move on from it. On the case to bust them: a supermarkets loss-prevention officer and a US postal inspector, played by Paul Walter HauserandVince Vaughn, respectively. Queenpinsdebuted in theaters on September 10, 2021. Being clever with coupons makes her feel like she is making a financial contribution. "We're Robin Hood," the queenpins reassure themselves. 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. But during Proctor & Gamble'sroutine audits ofthird-party coupon processors, the discovered fakes in circulation and hired private investigators to do some more digging. In the movie, Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste play Connie and Jojo, a pair of best friends from Phoenix who love extreme couponing. The duo then interview a group of postal workers, who remember JoJo, especially because Earl is always watching her videos. 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. The only real-life individual you could say was better off after the case than before, is the man who cracked the case. The pair are currently starring as crooked coupon buddies in the crime comedy "Queenpins," written and directed by husband-and-wife duo Aron. A pair of housewives create a $40 million coupon scam. Authorities eventually traced Ramirezs activity back to 2007. 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. After multiple, very expensive fertility treatment failures, she and her IRS auditor husband (Joel McHale, given nothing to do) are estranged and deeply in debt. Much the same can be said for Paul Walter Houser, who plays Ken Miller, the loss prevention officer that uncovers and eventually busts Connie and Jojos scam. Afterwards, the duo begins their own website and small business "Savvy Super Saver", which helps them sell numerous coupons and generate profit. We just wanted to create our own characters.. Ramirez, Fountain and Johnson were charged and convicted for running their very own $40 million counterfeit coupon scheme, for which theyre still paying the price and may well be for the rest of their lives. She really likes to watch out the window as we land and it helps calm her down. And in terms of the crime itself, Queenpins stayed pretty loyal. The character mainly functions to forward the plot and as the other half of the "buddy-cop" duo with Ken Miller (Paul Walter Hauser). In 2012, investigators found millions of dollars worth in forged coupons. 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. Here's the cast and character guide for Queenpins, along with comparisons to some of the characters' counterparts in real life. Queenpins is a 2021 American comedy film written and directed by Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly. She was the only one of the three to receive jail time. 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. A judge sentenced Ramirez to twenty-four months in prison and seven years probation. In reality, thewomen seemed to have a better grasp of how to stay under the radar than the movie portrays, which enabled them to avoid police detection for so long. Queenpins has arrived in theaters and on Paramount+, telling the story of the countrys largest counterfeit coupon scam. Much the same can be said for Paul Walter Houser, who plays Ken Miller, the loss prevention officer that uncovers and eventually busts Connie and Jojos scam. Tempe Tina does not have a real-life counterpart. Johnson helped package and ship the coupons to customers, and Fountain placed hologram stickers on some of them to make them look more legitimate. The Coupon Information Corporation got wind of the scheme, and brought it to the attention of investigators, which is how it eventually landed on the desk of Phoenix Police Sergeant David Lake. Slapstick . 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. Instead we have LPOKen Miller (Paul Walter Hauser), a dedicated but comically awkward stickler for the rules, who is eventuallyjoined by an investigator from the USPS (Vince Vaughn, nailing just the right mix of exhausted irritation and integrity). Savvy Shopper Site had a few other suspicious requirements. Queenpins is playing in theaters with plans to stream on Paramount+ in the near future. And thats why they make excuses, he said. .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. After tracing the origins of the ring to Phoenix, the FBI then teamed up with local law enforcement to bust the group. She has previously appeared with Bell on Bad Moms, buther claim to fame has been in screenwriting. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. 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. It isvery pleasurable in the moment but likely to leave you feeling empty and a little queasy. Credit: Courtesy STX Films. 'Queenpins': Here's the Real Story Behind Kristen Bell's Crime Comedy JoJo combines two people in real life:Amiko Fountain and Marilyn Johnson. 'Queenpins': Here's the Real Story Behind Kristen Bell's Crime Comedy the three womens 2012 arrests for coupon fraud, the major motion picture they inspired is set to open in theaters this Friday, were ordered to pay nearly $1.3 million in restitution to Procter & Gamble, REVIEW: Queenpins Takes Coupon Counterfeiting to Extremes, The Cast and Crew of Queenpins Take a Crash Course in Coupons, Coupon Industry Gets Ready For Its Closeup, In Queenpins, A Q&A With the Creators of Queenpins, the Counterfeit Coupon Caper. Queenpins tells a comedic story of two down-on-their-luck Phoenix women who discover their path to prosperity by concocting a $40 million counterfeit coupon scheme that all comes crashing down when they get caught. It is also revealed that Connie, after numerous unsuccessful attempts to conceive following her miscarriage, is finally pregnant through in vitro fertilization. Bell will next be lending her voice to the animated show Do, Re & Mi, as well as appearing in the miniseries The Woman in the House. After complaining about cereal gone stale, the pair receives dozens of freebies, inspiring them to hatch an illegal coupon club scheme. The film is based on the true story of three Arizona women arrested in 2012 for a $40 million fraud involving coupons. They joined forces with several other affected companies and hired private investigators to track the source of the fraudulent coupons. Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste on friendship, coupons - Los