Introducing The Bell Sisters

By: Ellie Powers

For many of us, making a film with our sibling does not sound like an appealing proposal. But for Jillian and Breanna Bell, it’s a childhood dream come true. With the premiere of the Hulu original Summer of 69 at SXSW and on streaming, the sisters finally produced (Breanna) and directed (Jillian) their debut feature.

Their story starts in Las Vegas, where the sisters grew up making backyard movies and going to the cinema on the weekend. They inherited Hollywood dreams from their parents who never made it to LA, but their father owned an advertising agency which meant the sisters got a front row seat to the filmmaking process from a commercial perspective.

Cut to March 2025: 1,100 people laugh and enjoy the (surprisingly) heartfelt story of high school senior, Abby (Sam Morelos), as she chases her first sexual experience by way of a mentorship from a stripper named Santa Monica (Chloe Fineman).

Jillian, an SNL alum and comedy veteran known for her character acting in films such as 22 Jump Street, Brittany Runs a Marathon, and Amy Schumer’s recent Netflix hit, Kinda Pregnant, referenced John Hughes as a touchstone for her coming-of-age story to strike “a perfect tonal balance of comedy and heart.” She notes how teen movies these days tend to prioritize a grounded world, and she personally missed “nostalgic romantic gestures” like your crush hoisting a boombox over their shoulder outside your bedroom window.

When Jillian received the script for Summer of 69 via her agent, she resonated with the relationship between two women at different stages of life, helping each other through coming-of-age moments. In many ways, she notes, the story reflects her and Breanna’s relationship, “I just have never seen our dynamic on screen in a way that's fully representative of us.” She adds the caveat, “this isn't a hundred percent. Obviously, Breanna's not a stripper, and I'm not in high school, nor am I a virgin—not to brag, but…” She laughs.

Jillian knew immediately who she wanted to bring the character of Santa Monica to life. She tapped current SNL cast member, Chloe Fineman, to star as the stripper who learns as much from high school senior, Abby, as she teaches. Jillian spoke with friend and colleague Amy Schumer about casting Chloe, and Jillian recalls how Amy hung up on her then called back  a few minutes later, saying she was able to get Chloe on board while she was walking the Cannes red carpet. Jillian was excited to see what Chloe would do with a character who felt “like a whole human.” Jillian remarks how character actors on SNL tend to be offered film roles that are reprisals of the characters they play on the show, so she was excited to see what Chloe would do with this role that required more grounded vulnerability. “She knocked it out of the park, and I can’t wait to see what she does next,” Jillian says.

The Bells partnered with American High, a production company based out of an abandoned high school in Syracuse that doubles as an office and a stage. In Summer of 69’s case, the American High building became a private Catholic school.

They became enamored with local businesses and kept many of the names the same. For example, Diamond Dolls, the strip club where Santa Monica works, is really called Diamond Dolls. As soon as they entered the space, the sisters felt welcomed. “We were just so in awe of all the ladies. They helped us with whatever we needed. They are a family, and I just loved the idea that these women have each other's backs.” Not only did the sisters admire the camaraderie at Diamond Dolls, but they also fell for the club's surprisingly excellent merchandise, and each have their own Diamond Dolls sweatshirts (and Harbor sweatshirts, for that matter).

For the strip club, Jillian felt strongly that the atmosphere should feel “joyous and empowering.” She notes how strip clubs are often portrayed by filmmakers as “seedy and dark, and a place with no light or joy.”  Thus, her intention was to do the opposite. 

At the start of the film, we see Santa Monica dance on stage. Jillian concedes that “there has to be a slight male gaze there, because Abby is looking at it from that perspective of all the men who are watching Santa Monica,” However, Jillian emphasizes, the moment should feel empowering. 

While Breanna may not identify with Santa Monica’s occupation,  she does share similar experiences as Jillian’s older sister, at least according to Jillian: “We grew up Catholic, going to Catholic private school. I did feel like there was so much shame around being a sexual human being, so it was nice to have that person.” She adds that she hopes that the film helps “people who don't have that person. I would have watched this when I was younger if I didn't have a sister.”

Jillian felt a deep connection to Abby, the sexually inexperienced high school senior. “I'm very much an Abby. I was a late bloomer. I was curious about stuff, but I was also embarrassed about it, and a lot of the things Abby confuses, I did too,” Jillian says. Breanna chimes in that their childhood friends who attended the premiere commented that they saw a lot of Jillian in Abby.

Jillian and Breanna invoked their sister telepathy and leaned on each other to support their creative decisions.

“It's hard to trust your gut,” Jillian says. “We have different brains, but we’re both creative. Breanna’s logical. I’m the one saying, ‘what if a shark flew by?’ And she’s the one going, ‘Well, sharks don’t do that.’”

Breanna agrees and adds that their working relationship did take years to mold into what it is now. When they had just moved to LA, Breanna recalls, Jillian would pitch ideas that Breanna would not understand. Now, she says, she knows her sister’s brain better. “We got there,” she laughs. 

Jillian picks up the thread, saying, “I always had someone at the monitor that shared a brain with me. It was very nice, because I’d ask, ‘did we get it?’ And she’d say, ‘yeah, in this take, we totally got it.’ Sometimes, you're too close to it. So, it's nice to have another person there to have your back.”

Breanna jumps in. “There'll be times when people say, ‘I don't think that's right.’ I would say, ‘you have to trust her. I know what she's doing.’”

That spirit of trust extended beyond the sisters to their creative partners. When it came time for the sound mix, they found dependable collaborators in Harbor mixers Ryan Billia and Josh Berger. “They knew this was a comedy, but more importantly, they recognized the heart of the film,” Jillian says. “I didn’t want the sound to feel too broad because the concept itself is already big. Josh and Ryan kept it grounded but still found ways to make the jokes land.”

Ryan reflects on the experience with genuine fondness. “Working with Jillian and Breanna was a wonderful experience! The sound effects edit was such a blast. I love how a subtle sound element can emphasize a joke or add a smile, and Jillian really seemed to like those touches. The loop group session was so much fun — I was crying from laughing so hard. The mix was so collaborative and enjoyable, I was truly sad when it ended. The whole team was a dream to work with.”

Both Ryan and Josh appreciated the freedom they were given to experiment and infuse the mix with their own ideas. “We crafted a soundtrack that felt natural and unique to the film,” Josh adds. “It was dynamic but made sure all the jokes cut through.” Jillian points out how some of her favorite comedic beats come from these subtle choices. “There’s a couple jokes they brought out with something as small as a squeaky chair,” she says. “It’s the tiniest thing, but it punctuates the moment perfectly.”

Breanna and Jillian Bell met, well, at Jillian’s birth. Growing up, they developed a deep appreciation for film thanks to their family’s diverse film tastes—horror for their mom, big, sweeping stories for their dad (think The Godfather), murder mysteries for Jillian, and sappy rom-coms for Breanna. When the sisters grew up, they both dove headfirst into the entertainment industry with dreams of their own. With Summer of 69, they finally turned their backyard movies into a feature film. But don’t worry. Fame hasn’t dulled their banter. They still maintain a healthy balance of supporting and ribbing each other in ways only sisters can.