Zola is based on an iconic 2015 Twitter thread and follows the story of Aziah "Zola" Wells, a former waitress at Hooters, and a sex worker named Jessica, who embarked on a wild road trip to Florida that involved stripping, prostitution, drugs, and murder.
When POPSUGAR chatted with Paige last year, she explained that Zola is much more than a stripper saga. "Regardless of what people do for a living, this is someone's life. Zola is a fully realised woman making her own decisions — she's not this one-dimensional stripper," she said. "This is the story of a Black woman existing and trying to make things happen and afford life when it's exhausting and you're having trouble getting by. Why wouldn't a 20-year-old try and make $5,000 in one night instead of working in a restaurant?"