When sisters Desiree and Mariah Turner were kids growing up in Montana, Friday nights meant one thing, movie marathons. Curled up on their basement couch with popcorn and their dachshunds, they would watch films until they drifted off to sleep. “We’d wake up in the middle of the night to the DVD menu looping,” Desiree laughs. “It was our ritual.”
Now, in 2025, the Turner sisters have turned that childhood ritual into a professional calling. Their newly launched production company, Prose & Page Turners, is already making waves with its debut project, The Prince, the Sister, and the Serpent, written and directed by Omar Parker. The film marks their first foray into producing, but they’re not doing it alone. Industry veteran Jonathan Gower, known for his collaborations with Parker on the Tribeca Film Festival short Salta and the hit YouTube platform Captain’s Log (which boasted hundreds of thousands of subscribers and a coveted Silver Play Button), has joined the company as a mentor and producer.
Sitting down for an interview, the Turner sisters radiate the kind of energy that only comes from a shared dream finally realized.
How did Prose & Page Turners come to life?
Mariah: It started as a joke, actually. We’d both been talking for years about how much we wanted to do something creative, but we were both in pretty traditional jobs. We’d gone to Montana State, got our science degrees, did what was expected of us. But there was always this itch we couldn’t ignore.
Desiree: Yeah, we were both kind of miserable doing “normal” jobs. We’d talk about making movies, writing stories, starting something together, and one day we just decided to stop talking and start doing. The company name came later, thanks to our mom.
The name is great. What’s the story behind “Prose & Page Turners”?
Desiree: It’s actually a family story! When our mom was pregnant with me, she wanted to name me Paige. But her friend told her, “You can’t name your kid Paige Turner!” Mom was heartbroken. So, when we were brainstorming names for the company, we thought it’d be fun to finally give “Paige Turner” her moment. It’s our little tribute to her.
Mariah: It felt right. It represents storytelling, books, and a bit of family humor. It’s very us.
Tell us about your first project, The Prince, the Sister, and the Serpent. What drew you to it?
Desiree: Omar Parker’s vision, for sure. His storytelling has such emotional depth. The project has fantasy, adventure, and moral complexity, the kind of story we grew up loving.
Mariah: And working with Jonathan Gower has been incredible. He brings so much experience, and he and Omar have such a natural creative chemistry. We’re learning a lot from them.
The company’s focus isn’t just films, right? You’re developing intellectual properties too?
Desiree: Exactly. Prose & Page Turners is about building worlds, whether that’s through film, books, or other media. We want to develop stories that can live in multiple formats.
Mariah: One of our top projects right now is Providence. It’s an epic action-adventure novel that’s coming out this December. It follows Agent Jasmine Carter as she unravels a conspiracy involving ancient mythology, aliens, and government secrets. There’s also Horus, who’s this ancient avian alien and former Egyptian god, he’s one of my favorite characters.
Desiree: Providence is special because it represents exactly what we want our company to be, bold, imaginative storytelling with heart.
What was it like to take the leap from science degrees to creative entrepreneurship?
Mariah: Terrifying… and freeing. We’d both been working in jobs that didn’t fulfill us. One day we looked at each other and thought, “Why not us?”
Desiree: We’ve failed at things before, sure, but we’ve also learned from every misstep. We knew that if we didn’t at least try to create something, we’d regret it forever.
You’ve worked together before. How does the sister dynamic play out in business?
Desiree: Oh, we bicker like any siblings do. I once knocked out one of her teeth with a basketball when we were kids, so she’s been holding that over me for years.
Mariah: (laughing) Of course I do. But honestly, we know how to push each other in good ways. There’s trust there that you just can’t manufacture.
Desiree: Plus, we’ve done everything together, traveled, lived together, even got matching Lord of the Rings tattoos after a night out. With no regrets!
Mariah: We’re both adventure junkies. We’ve jumped off bridges together, traveled across countries, and built a library of over 500 books. Starting a production company together just felt like the next big adventure.
What’s next for Prose & Page Turners?
Desiree: We’re working closely with Omar Parker on his upcoming slate for 2028 and beyond. Our goal is to build a diverse catalog of stories that span genres, from heartfelt dramas to sprawling fantasies.
Mariah: We’re also focusing on creating opportunities for other writers and artists. We want Prose & Page Turners to be a creative home base for imaginative people who care about storytelling.
Any advice for people dreaming about starting something of their own?
Desiree: Don’t wait for permission. The timing will never be perfect. Start where you are, with what you have.
Mariah: And find your people, the ones who believe in your crazy ideas. For us, that’s each other.
As the interview winds down, the sisters exchange a knowing glance, one that says they’re just getting started. For Desiree and Mariah Turner, the journey from movie-loving kids to studio founders is more than a career move; it’s a lifelong collaboration. And if the success of their early ventures is any indication, Prose & Page Turners may soon become a name synonymous with imaginative, heartfelt storytelling.
