Together, they set up a website called Savvy Super Saver, and eventually make millions of dollars in turn, costing multiple manufacturers millions of dollars. $100,000 x 40 is 4 million not 40 million. And where does that curmudgeonly frame come from? 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 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. Queenpins - Chapter 3 - Elias_Pedro - Archive of Our Own Ben Stiller serves as an executive producer under his Red Hour Productions banner. Queenpins True Story: The Real-Life Inspiration Explained - ScreenRant 'Queenpins': Here's the Real Story Behind Kristen Bell's - Yahoo! 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. She also was ordered to pay restitution of up to $5 million. [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. 'We gotta steal these coupons and sell them to families who really need them. Indeed, the movie is inspired by a true story, but just how closely does the film follow the events and people its based on? But during Proctor & Gamble'sroutine audits ofthird-party coupon processors, the discovered fakes in circulation and hired private investigators to do some more digging. According to Coupons in the News, Ramierz started selling counterfeit coupons as early as 2007, and was eventually joined by the other two women. This installment focuses on the true story behind the crime comedy Queenpins. 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. While the characters in the 2021 movieQueenpins call out systemic inequality and the downfalls of capitalism, it's unlikely that their real-life counterparts shared these same sentiments. You can't make this stuff up - and the filmmakers didn't have to. Ame hissed, "Getting partnered with someone like me. Paul Walter Hauseras Ken Miller -Paul Walter Hauser plays Loss Prevention Officer Ken Miller, whoserather unexciting job takes a turn when he discovers the fake coupon scheme. In July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women in a coupon scam that cost manufacturers roughly $40 million. Mumolo was an Academy Award-nominated screenwriter for the romantic comedy Bridesmaids. Authorities eventually traced Ramirezs activity back to 2007. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to. They included coupons for anything from Hershey bars to dog food to diapers. Real Stories is an ongoing column about the true stories behind movies and TV shows. Yes, like the grocery store coupons that come with the Sunday paper. 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. Like a coupon high, the fun of this movie does not last. 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. 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. [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. There's a reason Bell is making quips about crime. "[11] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 45 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Police in Phoenix, Arizona, announced the arrest of three women after they confiscated more than $25 million worth of fake coupons in a raid. 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. Bell plays former Olympian and bored. In the wake of the bust, all three women pleaded guilty. The film is based on the true story of three Arizona women arrested in 2012 for a $40 million fraud involving coupons. Fountain and Johnson were both sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to a single count of counterfeiting. They also seized more than $2 million in other assets, including 22 guns, cash, 21 vehicles, and a speed boat. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. In the movie, Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste play Connie and Jojo, a pair of best friends from Phoenix who love extreme couponing. From writer-directors Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, the film stars Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Ba. "[Ringleader Robin Ramirez] would bring in these coupons from overseas in large quantities, quantities we never could imagine and she would sell them on her website for about 50 percent of face value," said Sgt. Except that these ladies sold unauthorized or forged coupons for a fraction of the face value to consumers who used them to get lots and lots of stuff without paying for it. Some customers became aware of the bust after they tried to use the coupons and they didn't work. Analysts Predict More Deals in the Grocery Store This Year, Savings Apps Are All the Rage This One Most of All, Grocery Shoppers Shrug Off A Tumultuous Year, Couponer Is Dealt A Final Setback In Decade-Old Dispute. 'Queenpins': Here's the Real Story Behind Kristen Bell's Crime Comedy That would be too prestigious for Hauser's wannabe-cop Miller (Hauser borrows from his 2019 performance in Richard Jewell). , updated 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. We're all looking for a loophole to find our joy and happiness in life." 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. Queenpins is playing in theaters with plans to stream on Paramount+ in the near future. Joel McHaleas Rick Kaminski- McHale plays Connie's husband who is worried about their growing amount of debt. Being clever with coupons makes her feel like she is making a financial contribution. But thats just Connie and Jojo. The duo then interview a group of postal workers, who remember JoJo, especially because Earl is always watching her videos. The film revolves around an ordinary suburban housewife's desire to forge her own path, which ultimately leads her to the world of scams. Two women create a $40 million coupon scam. Visitors to the Savvy Shopper Site website could buy high-value coupons offering free items like detergent, diapers, pet food and more, for pennies on the dollar. Yes. Dave Lake told CBS5 later. And in terms of the crime itself, Queenpins stayed pretty loyal. Yes, a bear actually did consumer millions of dollars worth of cocaine. The coupons were sold on a site called Savvy Shopper Site, to which interested parties had to be referred or invited directly to use. It's very easy to say their words," says Kristen. Just to make him more sympathetic, in addition to the $2 an hour, he has a pregnant wife who also works at the factory. If you can get an unlimited number of those, think how this grows. The comedy Queenpins is inspired by the largest coupon scam in U.S. history. It's unclear if their real-life counterparts,Ramirez, Fountain, and Johnson, had such charitable aspirations when they started their illicitenterprise. 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 vehicles included a custom Corvette that was worth over $150,000. By
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. A look at the counterculture movement that became the religious right. 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. This happened after various companies that had been impacted by the bogus coupons hired private investigators to uncover the origins of the coupons. She really likes to watch out the window as we land and it helps calm her down. Woman on Plane: Hey sorry, uhm, would you mind if we switched seats, just for this last part? The ladies account is frozen due to suspicious activity, so Connie realizes they need to prove their business is legitimate. Her term of probation was recently extended for another five years, after she fell more than $4,000 behind in her restitution payments. Yes. These companies included Hershey, Procter & Gamble, and the Coupon Information Corporation. Lets break it down. Un par de amas de casa crean una estafa de cupones de 40 millones de dlares. Postal Inspector lead the investigation into their activities, encountering multiple humorous setbacks along the way. "I'm saving money!" And why Bell and co-star Paul Walter Houser didnt talk to the real people behind the characters they play. However, he doesn't appear to have inspired Vaughn's Kilmurry. The coupons were sold on a site called Savvy Shopper Site, to which interested parties had to be referred or invited directly to use. 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. And thats why they make excuses, he said. These are free-item coupons," Phoenix Police Sgt. Greg Garcia, a cashier at her local A&G Family Marts store, explains to her that companies habitually respond to complaint letters by sending coupons for free items. "We're Robin Hood," the queenpins reassure themselves. 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. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Thats the type of money they had, Sgt. 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. The amount covered all of P&G's losses, for the fake coupons as well as extra manpower needed to deal with the issue. While the movie is focused on two women, there were three at the heart of the real coupon ring. Lets break it down. In July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women in a coupon scam that cost manufacturers roughly $40 million. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. 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. No, not at all, Bell told TheWrap. A judge sentenced Ramirez to twenty-four months in prison and seven years probation. Ramirez, Fountain and Johnson are now having to live with what they did. Indeed, the movie is inspired by a true story, but just how closely does the film follow the events and people its based on? Tellingly, the changes to the details of the real law enforcement and private investigators make them less sympathetic. No, not at all, Bell told TheWrap. 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. Included in the seizures were $25,000,000 worth of fake coupons, 22 assault weapons, and 21 vehicles including a 40 foot boat. After complaining about cereal gone stale, the pair receives dozens of freebies, inspiring them to hatch an illegal coupon club scheme. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. Bud played an instrumental role in taking down the three women who inspired the Queenpins movie.Unlike Bud Miller, Hauser's character doesn't work for the Coupon Information Corporation (a not-for-profit association of consumer product manufacturers dedicated to fighting coupon misredemption and fraud). "I am not spending money!" 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. Rare $300 sign-up bonus card hits market Ad The Ascent. 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. I was very excited when I saw on the front page of the script that was based on a true story. At the time of her arrest, investigators discovered Ramirez had four online accounts and 12 bank accounts. She was the only one of the three to receive jail time. 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. A pair of housewives create a $40 million coupon scam. In July of 2012, police raided Ramirez's home andseized more than $25 million worth of fake coupons. 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. Required fields are marked *. The women guaranteed a one-hundred-percent return rate if a store rejected one of their coupons. "These aren't 50-cent-off coupons. 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. After tracing the origins of the ring to Phoenix, the FBI then teamed up with local law enforcement to bust the group. No. 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. Together, they set up a website called Savvy Super Saver, and eventually make millions of dollars in turn, costing multiple manufacturers millions of dollars. Ramirez, the ringleader, was the only one sentenced to prison time two years while her counterparts got probation. She was sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for 287 days served, and seven years of supervised probation. 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. Queenpins (2021) - IMDb He also focused more on the character aspect of his part, rather than talking to anyone actually involved in loss prevention. (music by) Cinematography by Andrew Wehde . In February of 2013,Ramirez pleaded guilty to counterfeiting, fraud, and illegal control of an enterprise, though a forgery charge was dropped. The comedy Queenpins features a talented cast coming together to tell a crazy true story. US Postal Inspector Simon Kilmurry (Vince Vaughn) appears to be entirely fictional. 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. 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. A Loss Prevention Officer and U.S. He also explained the counterfeit coupon case to Gaudet and Pullapilly, who sought him out after their curiosity was piqued when they first read about the crime. Bebe Rexha is the tech genius, Tempe Tina. Vince Vaughnas Simon Kilmurry -Vince Vaughn plays Simon Kilmurry, a U.S. postal inspector who works with Ken to investigate the coupon scam. He has been commended by the FBI for supporting them in numerous efforts to fight "complex coupon fraud schemes." We dont want people to think its funny. 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. The bare-bones blueprint for the story is accurate; a small group of women make millions selling counterfeit coupons. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. The opening scenes show Bell's character getting arrested before a flashback to explain what happened. She has spent her life chatting about popular media to anyone who would listen, even appearing on conference panels to discuss her favorite (and least favorite) shows and movies. Vaughn is also currently appearing in the series Curb Your Enthusiasm. Fountain and Johnson were both sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to a single count of counterfeiting. Queenpins: Dirigido por Aron Gaudet, Gita Pullapilly. While it might seem outrageous and is played for laughs in the movie, in July 2012, a SWAT team really did raid the Phoenix residences of the three women who played a part in the counterfeit coupon operation. The women sold their counterfeit coupons on various online sites, including eBay and their own website, SavvyShopperSite.com. Ken: Yeah no, even if I wanted to switch, I think it's more important that your daughter learn a valuable lesson. Preferred customers could get even better deals on better coupons. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to. She was sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for 287 days served, and seven years of supervised probation. Here's the cast and character guide for Queenpins, along with comparisons to some of the characters' counterparts in real life. Slapstick . Despite the absurdity of the synopsis, believe it or not,Queenpins is based on a true story. See production, box office & company info. David Lake, who led the Phoenix Police Departments investigation, told KPHOat the time. Queenpins (2021) - IMDb Queenpins | Official Trailer [HD] | In Theaters September 10 - YouTube Queenpins (2021) - Full Cast & Crew - IMDb A real disc jockey inspired Robin Williams classic character. It was then that they learned of the fakes that were in circulation. Credit: Courtesy STX Films "They're also some of the best writers I've ever worked with. Aron and I were immediately drawn to the story and had to understand it more, Pullapilly said. In real life, the FBI did get involved, along with the non-profit Coupon Information Center. Jack McBrayerasAgent Park - McBrayer has extensive experience in comedy. 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. In real life, the FBI did get involved, along with the non-profit Coupon Information Center. And they get a monthly reminder every time they make their latest restitution payment. [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. Kristen Bell And Kirby Howell-Baptiste Run A Multi-Million Dollar Coupon Scam In The 'Queenpins' Trailer. [8], In June 2021, Showtime and Paramount+ acquired U.S. pay TV and streaming rights to the film for about $20 million. Husband-and-wife filmmakers Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly did fly to Arizona in 2018 to interview the real detective who worked the case. Thats the type of money they had, Sgt. 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. 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. The story actually began more than a decade ago, when the women started selling their coupons online. Watch Queenpins | Prime Video - amazon.com This is based on the true story of three women: Robin Ramirez, Marilyn Johnson, and Amiko "Amy" Fountain. When we use coupons, we feel like we're getting away with something, like we're smart and special. That is the basic premise of Queenpins, a comedy reuniting The Good Place co-stars Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste as the two leads. Afterwards, the duo begins their own website and small business "Savvy Super Saver", which helps them sell numerous coupons and generate profit. One account had more than $2 million dollars. 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. Her next acting roleisfor the movie Confess, Fletch. The idea started just as a way for their two families to make ends meet as they struggled to pay the bills. I just decided I really wanted to play the curmudgeon nature of the character. And I think it comes from loneliness and feeling isolated and kind of under-utilized or under-appreciated.