WE SEE LIFE AS A SERIES OF POEMS.
These are the poems we’ve been lucky enough to make so far,
each one a special collaboration…
MEAN GIRLS
I was Cady Heron’s age when Mean Girls became not just a part of my life, but a fixture in my world. My friends and I (and our acquaintances and their friends and random strangers at the mall and their moms who picked them up) obsessed over all things Plastic, constantly quoting the movie– entire conversations in quotes– cementing its vernacular into our own burgeoning cultural zeitgeist. Mean Girls was not just a movie– but synonymous with my teenhood.
Jump-cut to twenty or so years later, we had just premiered Quarter Life Poetry at Sundance. It meant everything to me how QLP was able to connect with young women through humor and musicality– and in search of our next project, I deeply wanted to continue that connection. Arturo had finished a beautiful collaboration with Justin Timberlake- and was hungry for a new musical challenge. And so when, by the cosmic alignment of all things fetch, we got word that Tina Fey wanted to talk Mean Girls Musical– we were all in.
From that moment, Tina graciously brought us into her world and we began the most exciting collaboration. We knew this would be for a generation of makers– Gen-Z– whose storytelling in bite-sized movies and boundless creativity needs to be met with respect. And we also gotta respect the OGs– the Millennials, who grew up with the story and characters.
And so a few years’ journey began of intense collaboration, total obsession, and lots and lots of pink. We’re thrilled to share with the world the talents of all who brought this to life; a Mean Girls for the next generation. And also for my friends and I– 20 years ago at the mall. It’s for us, too.
Samatha Jayne
October 3rd 2023
Quarter Life Poetry
In my early 20s, I had a total, absolute quarter life crisis. I found myself in a job that drained my soul, a city that drained my wallet, all whilst draining tequila from the bar beneath my toy-poodle sized bedroom. I had a dream to move out west, act, write stories, make films, get a true California base-tan! And though my Ashkenazi roots prohibited the latter, I started anew, writing about what I knew best: the jagged peaks and cavernous valleys of young adulthood– aka the dumpster-fire of my twenties– aka Quarter Life Poetry.
I began the project online, then wrote a book of little poems and doodles, each about a different aspect of life as a young woman who is “doing totally fine thanks for asking yeah I’m doing really great right now no cause for concern”. And to promote the book, we made four videos (check them out here). I so loved making them– connecting to others, especially young women, through acting, writing, making films, getting tan… – wait. Oh yes! THIS was my dream! And so I kept writing.
A few years later, Arturo and I premiered 10 new poems at the Sundance Film Festival. It meant the world to share this work, knowing that if I could help someone feel less alone through this time in their life, it’s worth it. And to keep them chuckling about it, even better. You can watch some of the Quarter Life Poetry poems below and the rest on FX on Hulu.
Samatha Jayne
June 2021
FINNEAS
There are no words that can fully or accurately express how difficult the pandemic felt. From extreme isolation, to social and political reckoning, to economic hardships, to losing so many of our dear family members, to all the different complex mental health challenges that this pandemic caused. We all lived through collective trauma.
So when FINNEAS - who we consider to be one of the best artists of this generation - reached out about doing some poems together with songs that he had written during this difficult time, I immediately felt like this project would not only be special but also important.
Whether you watch these poems today, 100 years from now, or from another planet, I hope you’ll be able to feel the hope and strength of this world’s humanity.
Arturo Perez Jr.
January 2021
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE + CHRIS STAPLETON
I'm sure you've experienced this: you share an idea with someone, and as you explain it, you can see their face wash over with "no's". Their mind is consumed by every possible logistical, technical, and empirical fear they can think of... and those "what if" thoughts kill the idea.
Well, I am happy to say that Justin is one of the few people whose mind doesn't operate that way. He craves the unexpected. The challenging. The unreasonable. Because he knows that's the only way to make interesting and exciting work.
Justin is a true artist. He is fearless. And he works tirelessly. He is what happens when artistry and courage meet.
And so we set sail on this crazy adventure with Chris Stapleton on board (whose soul is truly as sweet as his voice). And after meticulous planning, it all came down to this one take.
Arturo Perez Jr.
January 2019