See how Ariana Grande, Bridesmaids, Madonna, more helped Hustlers director land her job
Filmmaker Lorene Scafaria has given fans a tantalizing peek at the way she hustled her way into directing one of the buzziest movies of the year.
The 41-year-old Hustlers helmer tweeted Tuesday a snappy video that she says convinced the film’s producers to hire her and Kayla Emter, who edited the clip (and, ultimately, the feature).
HUSTLERS is now available on digital HD! This is the sizzle reel edited by my ride-or-die @kayla_emter that got us both the job. Thought it'd be fun to share until someone takes it down. Love you Kayla. pic.twitter.com/4hC0VNiTUo
— Lorene Scafaria (@LoreneScafaria) November 26, 2019
The high-energy sizzle reel features dozens of female-centric pop culture references, including scenes from movies including Showgirls, Bridesmaids, Pulp Fiction, The Craft, The Wolf of Wall Street, Hidden Figures, Easy A, The Bling Ring, and Thelma & Louise — as well as music videos by Ariana Grande, Teyana Taylor, and M.I.A. — all of which are soundtracked by Beyoncé‘s 2011 single “Run the World (Girls).”
Footage included in the montage also shows Britney Spears kissing Madonna at the 2003 MTV VMAs, Justin Bieber speaking during his infamous 2014 deposition, various shots from Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and pivotal moments from TV shows such as Big Little Lies and Sex and the City.
Scafaria has said she felt like she also danced for dollars while pitching the project to male studio heads, who were initially hesitant to fund a fact-based story about a band of witty strippers (led by Constance Wu and Jennifer Lopez) who scammed their wealthy Wall Street clients out of money following the 2008 financial crisis.
“Women are constantly sexualized, but when they find a way to profit from it, suddenly it’s a problem,” Lopez, who’s currently courting significant Oscar buzz for her supporting performance in the film, previously told EW of the difficulties in getting the film off the ground. “Strippers are painted as throwaways or background characters. Hustlers digs into stories of their lives; the good, the bad, and the ugly.”
Hustlers is now available to buy on digital platforms. Watch Scafaria’s gig-winning video above.
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