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It’s been in the works for well over a year and while it needs a little more time in the oven before Netflix officially unveils the project, we can report today that the streamer is working on a big new biopic series on Sam Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison, the disgraced former CEO and executive of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX.
Oscar-winner Graham Moore is attached to write and co-showrun with Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions, which is working on the project under their overall deal with Netflix. Moore is best known for writing on The Imitation Game, The Outfit, and The Holdout. James Ponsoldt is reportedly on board to direct at least one episode, having previously worked on shows like Parenthood, Shameless, and Master of None, and feature films like Off the Black and Smashed. Jacqueline Hoyt is reportedly on board to co-showrun the eight-episode series that’s set to begin production this Summer. Hoyt’s previous credits include CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Good Wife, and The Leftovers.
Once hailed as the “Crypto King,” Sam Bankman-Fried, also known just as SBF, was a rising star in the business world, albeit a little unorthodox. He raised billions for his cryptocurrency exchange FTX and was hailed as a genius by many. Of course, his legacy was left in tatters because by November 2022, the floor had begun to collapse with crimes being exposed and a giant blackhole of customer funds missing. By March 2024, after a lengthy public court proceeding, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $11 billion in assets.
We first got alerted that Netflix was eying some project based on Sam Bankman-Fried earlier in 2024, when the streamer optioned five articles from Vox Media, with those being:
- How SBF Allegedly Did It by Kevin T. Dugan.
- Could Caroline Ellison Be Cutting a Deal With the Justice Department? by Kevin T. Dugan.
- These Skeptics Saw ‘Scam Bankman-Fraud’ Coming by Kevin T. Dugan.
- It Was All a Game for Sam Bankman-Fried by Kevin T. Dugan.
- What Does Sam Bankman-Fried Have to Say for Himself? by Jen Wieczner.
We then did some digging and found out they were developing this new series from Higher Ground. We were told early on that the new series would focus on Sam’s relationship with Caroline Ellison, his girlfriend who also served as an executive at the cryptocurrency exchange company. Netflix declined to comment on the project when we first approached them in May 2024 and continues to do so now.
Variety and Deadline report that Ozark star Julia Garner is close to a deal to play the role of Caroline Ellison. We also heard that, at one point, Evan Peters, best known for his roles on American Horror Story and Netflix’s DAHMER, was in negotiations for the role of SBF himself. The project has yet to be officially titled.
Netflix isn’t the only one cashing in on the story. Projects are being worked on at Amazon Prime Video, with a limited series adaptation with Joe and Anthony Russo’s AGBO. Apple Studios is teaming up with A24 for a film based on Michael Lewis’s book Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon, with Lena Dunham set to write. Vice Media and The Information are collaborating on a documentary. That’s not including the countless books in the works.
We’ll update you once we hear more! Are you excited at the prospect of a big new series on Sam Bankman-Fried at Netflix? Let us know in the comments down below.
