Ellen DeGeneres and Buzzfeed editor Matt Stopera started discussions on starting production on a movie based on Stopera's missing iPhone.
Matt Stopera's iPhone was stolen in 2014 in a bar in East Village, New York. A year later, photos started appearing in his photostream. The Chinese man in the picture took selfies of himself in front of an orange tree.
The man was then called Brother Orange by followers in Weibo when Stopera's story became viral. The BuzzFeed editor then travelled to Meizhou to meet Brother Orange. Upon arriving in China, Stopera was surprised by the drones of fans who welcomed him. He realized that he became an instant internet celebrity.
According to Stopera's article in Buzzfeed, "I followed my stolen iPhone across the world, became a celebrity in China, and found a friend for life."
The editor revealed that when his phone was stolen in New York, it eventually was sold in Meizhou in a second hand phone shop.The pictures on the phone were not deleted and his iCloud account was still open.
When the pair met in China, Brother Orange returned the phone. Stopera then closed his iCloud account.
Brother Orange reciprocated by visiting Stopera in the United States. It was at that time when Stopera's story caught the interest of Ellen DeGeneres. The two friends met at Ellen DeGeneres' talkshow.
Ellen DeGeneres and Stopera will be the executive producers of the upcoming movie.The story will tell the story of "an unlikely, accidental friendship that transcended cultural divides." Flagship Entertainment, a joint venture of Warner Bros and China Media Capital, will produce the project.