Stars Collective has acquired the Mandarin-language remake rights to “Thelma,” the 2024 Sundance Film Festival breakout that became Magnolia Pictures’ highest-grossing narrative feature, and is developing an adaptation titled “Grandma, Please.”
In “Grandma, Please,” an 80-year-old grandmother is swindled out of her life savings by a scammer who uses AI to clone her late husband’s voice. Rather than involve the police or worry her children, she decides to track down the culprit herself – a search that reunites her with an old flame from 60 years earlier, once a basketball team captain and now a resident of a care home. Their journey together turns into a road trip blending comedy with more emotional beats.
The original “Thelma,” written and directed by Josh Margolin and produced by Zurich Avenue and Bandwagon, starred a then-93-year-old June Squibb in the title role, with Parker Posey as her uptight daughter and Fred Hechinger as her grandson. The film was released theatrically in the U.S. by Magnolia Pictures.
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Peter Luo, known for “Malignant,” “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” and “Crazy Rich Asians,” is writing the adapted screenplay and producing alongside Stars Collective Co-CEO Nancy Xu and Wayne Wei Jiang, whose credits include “The Meg.” Luo and Xu most recently executive produced “The Rip,” starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, which reached No. 1 on Netflix’s global film chart.
Xu negotiated the deal with Team Thelma LLC, which produced and owns the original film and controls its remake rights. Production on “Grandma, Please” is expected to begin in the second half of 2027.
“‘Thelma’ may have seemed like an unlikely action-comedy hit, but the movie really played intergenerationally and the audience reflected this,” Luo said. “The story’s appeal extends beyond seniors, and we love the message the film sends – at any age, you can be the lead in your own life. We have an exciting vision for this reimagining and are excited to share it.”
Xu said senior-led stories such as “Thelma” and “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies” have been driving global box office surprises, and this reimagining aims to ride that same wave. “‘Grandma, Please’ offers a fun genre premise with real social relevance beneath the comedy, and we feel this will translate to box office popularity,” Xu added.
Founded in 2020 by Luo, Stars Collective is a global intellectual property company with operations in Los Angeles, China and Japan. The company has more than 60 original IPs in development across film, animation, games, consumer products and immersive experiences.
Recent Stars Collective productions include “The Monkey” and “PLayland.” The company holds a 25-year exclusive merchandising license for “The Garfield Movie” in Greater China, covering all categories except theme park and stage rights. Stars Collective also optioned the film rights to the nonfiction book “Fortunate Sons: The 120 Chinese Boys Who Came to America, Went to School, and Revolutionized an Ancient Civilization,” and is developing a movie adaptation with Academy Award winner Donna Gigliotti.
Stars Collective is also building a studio focused on generative technology that will bring Hollywood filmmakers together with AI tools.