The path from social media notoriety to a Hollywood writing credit has been well worn in recent years, but it is not often that the journey begins at an outdoor shopping mall in Glendale, Calif.

The anonymous writers behind @americanaatbrandmemes, an Instagram and X account that has built a following of some 180,000 people by posting jokes about the Americana at Brand — the Rick Caruso-owned retail development that has become a particular object of local fascination — have been hired to write a feature comedy called "Jay Pegs Auto Mart."

The film, which is described as a heist comedy based on true events, concerns a collective of crypto developers and performance artists called NIMI.Global who in 2021 created a site selling NFTs of 2007 Kia Sedona minivans. The venture reportedly generated $3 million in sales before the funds were stolen, prompting what the production materials describe as a "D.I.Y. investigation."

(One imagines the phrase "based on true events" is doing considerable lifting here.)

The project will be directed by Kristopher Wile, in his first feature, and is being produced by The Boldest, a media company founded by Saskia Clements, and Forced Perspective, a production company started by Jazzy Collins, a casting director who has won an Emmy.

"Anyone paying attention to comedy knows the Americana at Brand Memes team has an instinct for the cultural moment that you simply cannot manufacture," Mr. Collins said in a statement, adding that bringing "that voice to the feature film space for the first time is exactly what this partnership was built for."

The meme account's writers, who have maintained their anonymity throughout their rise, offered their own assessment of the opportunity. "We can't wait to officially join the small group of people in L.A. who call themselves screenwriters!" they said.

The group is smaller than it used to be, though the line to get in remains quite long.

Original story published in The Hollywood Reporter: "Team Behind Americana at Brand Memes Account to Write Heist Comedy 'Jay Pegs Auto Mart'"