Yes. 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. 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. David Lake of the Phoenix Police Department. But Lake determinedly led his team in pursuing the case. 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. Kristen Bell - IMDb Like a coupon high, the fun of this movie does not last. Its that simple. I'd recommend this film for unwinding on a Friday night after a long week. The postal inspector tells Connie it's 1 year for every $100,000 earned fraudulently and that she's looking at 40 years. $100,000 x 40 is 4 million not 40 million. Whatever Happened to the Real-Life "Queenpins"? In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. It appeared the women were making so much money, they werent even sure how to spend it all. 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. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. Judge Rosa Mroz of Maricopa County Superior Court ordered all three to payProcter & Gamble $1,288,682 in reimbursement. McHaleis perhaps best known for his role inCommunity, and will next be starring in the series Black Box. We're all looking for a loophole to find our joy and happiness in life." This is based on the true story of three women: Robin Ramirez, Marilyn Johnson, and Amiko "Amy" Fountain. Yes. Bud is a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and an industry veteran. By Autumn has a Master of Arts in English from Northern Michigan University, where she also taught superhero-themed composition courses. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Rexha's character helps Connie and JoJo evade the authorities, mainly by strengthening their internet security. Queenpins Cast And Character Guide: Where You Know The Actors From, Worth Cast & Character Guide: What The Real People Look Like, Free Guy Cast, Characters & All Cameos Guide, Q-Force Cast & Character Guide: Where You Know The Actors From. If you can get an unlimited number of those, think how this grows. 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. Queenpins - Chapter 1 - Elias_Pedro - Archive of Our Own You Are Reading :Queenpins Cast And Character Guide Where You Know The Actors From. The filmmakers, Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, chose not to interview the real Queenpins for the movie. After gathering sufficient evidence, Simon and Ken finally get agents to arrest the pair. Is Queenpins on Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, or Prime? 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. 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. [5] In October 2020, Bebe Rexha joined the cast of the film. In real life, the FBI did get involved, along with the non-profit Coupon Information Center. "[11] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 45 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Will DiGravio is a Brooklyn-based critic, researcher, and video essayist, who has been a contributor at Film School Rejects since 2018. 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. The Coupon Queens cheated as many as 40 major manufacturers (Business Insider). Yes. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to clean the money theyve made from selling coupons. In the movie, Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste play Connie and Jojo, a pair of best friends from Phoenix who love extreme couponing. Bell plays Connie, whose life is smaller and sadder than she expected, following her early success as a gold-medal-winning Olympic athlete (but in a low-profile event, race-walking). On the case to bust them: a supermarkets loss-prevention officer and a US postal inspector, played by Paul Walter HauserandVince Vaughn, respectively. Preferred customers could get even better deals on better coupons. 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. Fountain and Johnson were both sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to a single count of counterfeiting. The coupons are being sent through the mail and the FBI does not take it seriouslybecause it's coupons. She has previously appeared with Bell on Bad Moms, buther claim to fame has been in screenwriting. [3] In July 2020, it was announced Paul Walter Hauser and Vince Vaughn had joined the cast of the film. None of the characters are based on the real individuals involved, Gaudet told Coupons in the News. Why the USPS? HBOs Rain Dogs Finds Humor, Despair in the Working-Class Mum at its Center, Berlinale Highlights, Part Three: Hummingbirds, Concrete Valley, Afire, The Oneness of All Things: On Sofia Alaouis Animalia, New York International Childrens Film Festival Opens Window to the World. Shedisplays considerable comedy chopsin films like Bad Momsand is also well-known for her role as Anna inDisney's Frozen franchise. Herreal-life counterpart isRobin Ramirez, who police considered the ringleader of the criminal operation. The women guaranteed a one-hundred-percent return rate if a store rejected one of their coupons. They also seized more than $2 million in other assets, including 22 guns, cash, 21 vehicles, and a speed boat. 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. At $300 a month, even if she stays current in her payments, it will take more than 120 years to pay off her share of the restitution order. It's very easy to say their words," says Kristen. In July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women in a coupon scam that cost manufacturers roughly $40 million. 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. Queenpins - Wikipedia The fake coupon game isnt a joke. Queenpins - Contemporary Robin Hoods grounded in the real world 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. Queenpins is a 2021 American comedy film written and directed by Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly. The film's largely painful humor is informed by the mistaken belief that the main characters' criminal enterprise is inherently quirky. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY NEWSLETTER, FIRST TAKE, July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women, Queenpins Trailer: Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste Are the Robin Hood of Coupons (Video), Netflixs The Sandman TV Series Casts Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death. 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. Bebe Rexha is the tech genius, Tempe Tina. However, Ken Miller, a hapless loss prevention officer for the A&G Family Marts stores in the Southwestern United States, learns about the coupons and the losses several companies are taking, and pressures his superiors before ultimately deciding to handle the case himself. Queenpins Cast And Character Guide: Where You Know The Actors From [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. Thats the type of money they had, Sgt. 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. Shecan next be seen in the indie film Silent Night and later inThe Sandman TV series. It stars Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Paul Walter Hauser, Bebe Rexha, and Vince Vaughn. 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. The scheme came crashing down after forty businesses, including major companies like Proctor & Gamble, Hershey, and PepsiCo, filed fraud complaints. But court records indicate that she has not quite been able to put this case behind her. Illegal couponing doesn't seem like ahigh-levelcrime, but the two women manage to grow rich off their scheme. The duo bond on their mission, with Simon sympathizing with Ken's unwavering devotion. US Postal Inspector Simon Kilmurry (Vince Vaughn) appears to be entirely fictional. He also focused more on the character aspect of his part, rather than talking to anyone actually involved in loss prevention. In the movie, Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste play Connie and Jojo, a pair of best friends from Phoenix who love extreme couponing. Lets break it down. 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. Kristen Bell as Connie Kaminski and Kirby Howell-Baptiste as JoJo Johnson in QUEENPINS. And they get a monthly reminder every time they make their latest restitution payment. 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. The crime comedy is based on a counterfeit coupon empire that shocked law enforcement. Queenpins - Chapter 3 - Elias_Pedro - Archive of Our Own Queenpins (2021) - IMDb 17:42 EST 23 Jul 2021. Included in the seizures were $25,000,000 worth of fake coupons, 22 assault weapons, and 21 vehicles including a 40 foot boat. The details were first revealed after a Tuesday morning raid in July 2012 by the Phoenix Arizona Police Department. She portrays a fictional computer hacker named Tempe Tina, who helps the two main characters with their coupon scam. The leader, Ramirez, pleaded guilty to fraud, counterfeiting, and illegal control of an enterprise. Eventually, they brought in Phoenix police, who conducted aneight-week investigation. 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. It might have been more interesting to have lead police officer on the case a woman, as it was in the actual arrest. Credit: Courtesy STX Films. Carly Stern For Dailymail.com, Dax Shepard wishes wife Kristen Bell a happy 41st birthday: 'Here's wishing you another 100 years in the saddle', Conwoman, 60, accused of posing as gem expert to swap diamonds worth 4.2m for pebbles was caught on CCTV outside Mayfair jeweller Boodles the day before heist, court hears. On the case to bust them: a supermarket's. Authorities also seized twenty-two assault weapons and twenty-one vehicles, including a forty-foot boat, in the raid. Along with paying Procter & Gamble millions of dollars, Ramirez had to serve jail time. And in terms of the crime itself, Queenpins stayed pretty loyal. She suggestsmaking fake identities and multiple accounts to store their earnings. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. "We knew, based on our research on past films, the more we dig into the real lives, it becomes much more serious, much more dramatic," Pullapilly told the, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. 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. There's a reason Bell is making quips about crime. Con Kristen Bell, Lidia Porto, Joel McHale, Kirby. It's unclear if their real-life counterparts,Ramirez, Fountain, and Johnson, had such charitable aspirations when they started their illicitenterprise. [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. Procter & Gamble $1,288,682 in reimbursement. Coupons wasnt even the biggest, most interesting case I did. David Lake said. Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste, playing the lead roles, are as spectacular as ever. The real Queenpins' mugshots are displayed below. Jack McBrayerasAgent Park - McBrayer has extensive experience in comedy. No Offense, But These 2 Big Retailers Aren't The Cheapest Ad MoneyWise. It isvery pleasurable in the moment but likely to leave you feeling empty and a little queasy. FREE FIRE TOP 3 GAME REAL CHARACTER para SAMSUNG A3,A5,A6 A7,J2,J5,J7 Despite the absurdity of the synopsis, believe it or not,Queenpins is based on a true story. 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. Ramirez, the ringleader, was the only one sentenced to prison time two years while her counterparts got probation. Kristen Bell And Kirby Howell-Baptiste Run A Multi-Million Dollar Coupon Scam In The 'Queenpins' Trailer. Dave Lake told CBS5 later. 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. You don't always get your way. That includes the details about the women and the two men chasing after them. Slapstick . 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. This is much more inspired So we dont really know anything about the real players and we kind of didnt want to. This includes forums and any public viewing areas or websites.". 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. Meanwhile, Ken is partnered with U.S. postal inspector Simon Kilmurry. Queenpins (2021) Rated R for language throughout. In a later scene, another postal service worker says they stole 40 million in counterfeit coupons. I was very excited when I saw on the front page of the script that was based on a true story. The real-life Queenpins thought that the similar name would make their scheme appear more legitimate. 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. He has been commended by the FBI for supporting them in numerous efforts to fight "complex coupon fraud schemes." I try to work with police chiefs, at the state and local level, to come up with ways of explaining how important protecting our business infrastructure is, he said. We dont want people to think its funny. 17:23 EST 23 Jul 2021 People who purchased coupons on the site could use them for an item and even get cash back if the value of the coupon exceeded the item's price. 'Its like Robin Hood,' Howell-Baptiste's character says in the trailer, summing up the coupon fraud plan. And I just want to play the humanity of the guy while adding some comedic elements to him.. (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 . According to Sgt. Others nabbed coupons for free pet food, diapers, and household goods from as many as 40 major manufacturers, including PepsiCo and Hershey. Real Stories is an ongoing column about the true stories behind movies and TV shows. No. The True Story Behind the Movie Queenpins - Film School Rejects The only real-life individual you could say was better off after the case than before, is the man who cracked the case. A look at what really happened with the characters of Andrew Dominiks 2007 Western epic. You cant make this stuff up and the filmmakers didnt have to. Couponing goes criminal in the new trailer for Queenpins. The opening scenes show Bell's character getting arrested before a flashback to explain what happened. In 2012, investigators found millions of dollars worth in forged coupons. 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. Vaughn is also currently appearing in the series Curb Your Enthusiasm. Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly's Queenpins concerns two Arizona suburbanites, Connie (Kristen Bell) and JoJo (Kirby . "We're talking about anywhere from $400 to $600 million in loss," said Officer James Holmes of the Phoenix Police Department. Details of the true story at the heart of Queenpinswere first revealed in July 2012. For example, a person could use a $25 coupon to purchase a $15 bag of dog food and receive the difference in cash. Kristen Bell Runs A Real-Life Coupon Scam In 'Queenpins' Trailer - UPROXX They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to. They'd then sell them on eBay and a website, SavvyShopperSite, for a profit. And it seems like the makers of the movie share this sentiment. They were charged with counterfeiting, forgery, operating an illegal enterprise, money laundering, and other violations. He also focused more on the character aspect of his part, rather than talking to anyone actually involved in loss prevention. 'Queenpins' Plot Summary No, not at all, Bell told TheWrap. I just decided I really wanted to play the curmudgeon nature of the character. It stars Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Paul Walter Hauser, Bebe Rexha, and Vince Vaughn. Being clever with coupons makes her feel like she is making a financial contribution. And where does that curmudgeonly frame come from? The Arizona coupon ring's leader, Robin Ramirez, and her accomplices, Marilyn Johnson and Amiko Fountain, were arrested in July of 2012. They encounter married employees Alejandro and Rosa Diaz, who agree to send them the unused coupons. The comedy Queenpins features a talented cast coming together to tell a crazy true story. In July of 2012, police raided Ramirez's home andseized more than $25 million worth of fake coupons. 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. Authorities eventually traced Ramirezs activity back to 2007. 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. Fountain and Johnson each pleaded guilty to one charge of counterfeiting. However, everything that's built onto this premise in the movie is almost entirely fictional. Un par de amas de casa crean una estafa de cupones de 40 millones de dlares. Produced by Music by Siddhartha Khosla . See production, box office & company info. Hauser previouslyworked with Howell-Baptiste in Cruella and also appeared in I, Tonya. How Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste's Real-Life Friendship Led Aron and I were immediately drawn to the story and had to understand it more, Pullapilly said. 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. Required fields are marked *. FREE FIRE TOP 3 GAME REAL CHARACTER para SAMSUNG A3,A5,A6 A7,J2,J5,J7,S5,S6 S7,S9,A10,A20 A30,A50 We just wanted to create our own characters.. [7], Principal photography began in October 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is also known for her appearances in Killing Eve and Cruella. Ramirez pleaded guilty to counterfeiting, fraud, and illegal control of an enterprise. Instead, he becomes highly frustrated when the FBI blows off his concerns. She lives with her mother and is trying to be an entrepreneur with a series of YouTube videos featuring tips on saving. 'We gotta steal these coupons and sell them to families who really need them. All three women were arrested and charged with forgery, fraud and counterfeiting. And in terms of the crime itself, Queenpins stayed pretty loyal. The women sold their counterfeit coupons on various online sites, including eBay and their own website, SavvyShopperSite.com. In the movie, Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste play Connie and Jojo, a pair of best friends from Phoenix who love extreme couponing. Your email address will not be published. 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. David Lake, who led the Phoenix Police Departments investigation, told KPHOat the time. 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. The site's critics consensus reads: "Lowbrow humor and inconsistent storytelling undercut Queenpins' talented cast, making this coupon-clipping comedy a disappointingly poor bargain. 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. 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. 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. From left, Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste.