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- Netflix rushes ahead with its FTX collapse drama, circling big stars while weaving scandal and romance into finance chaos.
- Casting talks intensify as Evan Peters eyes Sam Bankman-Fried role, Julia Garner nears deal, blending acting and producing.
Netflix is set to dramatize the $32 billion FTX collapse, a scandal that rocked global finance in 2022. With TV studios fighting to secure rights to the explosive story, there have been new casting rumors, with reports of Evan Peters entering negotiations to portray Sam Bankman-Fried. Peters, winner of awards for his performance in Netflix’s DAHMER series, might next play the ashamed crypto boss if the negotiations go through.
Meanwhile, Julia Garner is said to be nearing the signing of her deal to portray Caroline Ellison, ex-CEO of Alameda Research. Garner won three Emmy awards playing roles in the series Ozark before gaining recognition for her role as Anna Delvey in Inventing Anna, so she is well-placed to land such a high-profile role. Garner is said to potentially play both an acting role and the role of executive producer for the adaptation, although nothing has yet been confirmed.
The fall of FTX in November 2022 was one of the most sensational collapses to have ever been seen in finance, eliminating billions of dollars of customer assets and resulting in the criminal indictment of Bankman-Fried. It is no wonder that Netflix is keen to tell the story, with the report stating they will base the film on a romantic narrative to set the events against the backdrop of chaos.
Hollywood’s Race for FTX Film
As Garner’s casting appears all set, there is less certainty about casting for Bankman-Fried. Peters is said to have the top role in his sights, but there is caution from insiders about ongoing negotiations. Oscar-winning writer Graham Moore, responsible for penning the script of The Imitation Game, is in talks to write the script, bringing additional star power to the production.
A variety of studios bid for the rights to the movie within weeks of the FTX collapse in late 2022. Hollywood is in hurry to cover the explosive narrative around SBF actions. Netflix plans to make the story centered around a romantic relationship, implying the film will examine not just the financial debacle but the personal relationships that fueled the meltdown.
While Netflix has yet to announce the official release date as well as its full cast, insiders within the industry say the production is progressing steadily in pre-production. Nevertheless, insiders add that numerous such projects have reached “development hell,” where there has been no news for months, even years, after the initial announcement.
Hollywood’s Crypto Obsession
The FTX debacle is not the only crypto disaster Hollywood is now eyeing. In 2016, the Bitfinex hack stole headlines by draining more than $70 million from the exchange. A cinematic version of it was being developed last year, although there have been no updates within the last six months.
To compare, Netflix’s FTX production appears to be going along at a faster pace, supported by the media-grabbing case of Bankman-Fried, who was convicted in 2023. The firm’s proposal to base the film around a love story underscores its commitment to human drama as much as it does to fraud.
