More Than Half A Dozen Ftx-Based Productions In The Making
It may sound crazy but there is a flurry of different outfits trying to take the FTX story to television and cinema screens. For instance, Panoramic Media is working on a project in collaboration with Andrew Ross Sorkin, the famous New York Times writer who interviewed SBF after the collapse of FTX.
The FTX collapse is one of the worst events in crypto history. Millions of customers have lost their funds, and the disgraced ex-CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried may face up to 130 years in prison. His accomplices, Gary Wang, and Caroline Ellison, who siphoned billions from Alameda Research, also face an uncertain future.
But what is certain is that Hollywood and the entertainment industry are looking at the crisis as a potential box office blockbuster. Right now, several top production companies and studios are racing against the clock to come out with films, TV series, and documentaries on the disastrous FTX crash.
Here’s a look at six of the FTX-inspired cinema and television projects currently in the making and the people behind them.
Amazon Studios ‘Marvelling’ at the FTX meltdown
Anthony and Joe Russo, famous for making several iconic Avenger films, are working on an eight-episode miniseries that will cover the FTX story. The producers are also reportedly trying to get Marvel actors to play some of the key characters in the series, which will be produced by ABGO, their own production house. The project is supposed to be backed by Amazon Studio and written by David Weil, known for his work on “The Hunters” and “Invasion” from Apple Studios.
Michael Lexis X Adam Mckay (or David Fincher)
Michael Lewis is a revered name in Hollywood. He is the man behind films like “Flash Boys”, “Moneyball”, and “The Big Short”. He is now working on a book that traces the journey of the disgraced crypto mogul, Sam Bankman-Fried. According to reports, he has even spent almost six months with SBF, following him everywhere and visiting him now and then, even after his arrest.
Matthew Snyder, an agent from Creative Artists Agency (CAA), also revealed that Lewis has been pitching film and television rights of his book and is close to reaching an agreement with Apple, who may offer him a mid-seven-figure deal.
Snyder also mentioned that, although Lewis started the book with a focus on the ‘White Knight’ of crypto, the sudden collapse of the exchange makes up for a dramatic twist, which is the USP here. Amazon Studios and David Heyman, the man who produced the Harry Potter films are also after the script. It surely is in high demand, and probably that too is an understatement.
When it comes to stories like this, we immediately think of Adam McKay and his unique style of documentary-like filmmaking which adds a sense of realism to these stories. As per reports, it might be him or the great David Fincher, who entered into a four-year partnership with Netflix, who will direct the film.
Some other top-shelf projects eyeing the FTX story
It may sound crazy but there is a flurry of different outfits trying to take the FTX story to television and cinema screens. For instance, Panoramic Media is working on a project in collaboration with Andrew Ross Sorkin, the famous New York Times writer who interviewed SBF after the collapse of FTX.
Panoramic Media is co-owned by Jonathan Glickman, the former president of Metro Goldwyn Mayer Motion Pictures Group. Glickman can also be credited for several top-level projects, including three James Bond films.
Yet another project may see Oscar-winning writer Graham Moore, penning and directing his version of the FTX story, based on the main cover story of the collapse, as published in the New York Magazine. The project may be funded by Vox Media Productions. For those unfamiliar with Moore, he is the screenwriter of “The Imitation Games.”
Even the popular Vice Media is working on a documentary in collaboration with The Information, a reputed publication focused on tech and business. The Hollywood Reporter states that the documentary will be titled “SBF and the End of Silicon Valley’, where experts from both firms will expose, in great detail, how the meltdown took place while also focusing on the malicious entities behind it.
Along with Vice and The Information, another publication house working on a feature-length documentary based on FTX is Decrypt. They have partnered with Mycos, the Web3 streaming service, and are working on a documentary that will feature some exclusive insider footage of SBF and the rest of the sinking ship. They are hoping to release the documentary this summer itself.
And finally, Oscar-nominated director David Garg is working on a documentary in collaboration with the premium nonfiction studio XTR. This is perhaps one of the first outfits to take up the project. An article by Vanity reported that Garg was on the ground in the Bahamas working on the film as early as November 17, 2022. The article also states that Garg and XTR have “unprecedented access to key players at FTX and the cryptocurrency community.”
For the unacquainted, Garg is the man behind iconic films like “You Cannot Kill David Arquette” and “Body Team 12”. XTR also brings a lot of experience to the table, having worked on films like “They Call Me Magic” and the Emmy award-winning “76 Days.”
In conclusion
The collapse of the FTX exchange is a sensational event in the world of finance. Events like this are remembered through the ages, partly because of the movies and documentaries that are developed around them. The downside is that FTX-inspired television and cinema projects could paint a terrible picture of the crypto ecosystem and its associated risk. However, at the same time, bad publicity is publicity nevertheless, and these productions could help bring digital assets further into the limelight.
