Bitcoin Blockbuster? 'Killing Satoshi' Film to Star Casey Affleck, Pete Davidson
Documentaries have so far failed to identify Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, convincingly.
Now, an upcoming feature film from notable Hollywood creatives aims to put a dramatic spin on the crypto’s creation and impact.
Hollywood is turning its lens towards crypto with “Killing Satoshi,” a conspiracy thriller that will explore the secret identity of Satoshi Nakamoto.
Director Doug Liman, known for “The Bourne Identity,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” and “Swingers,” will helm the project starring Oscar winner Casey Affleck and Pete Davidson, according to a report from Variety.
The film’s screenplay, written by Nick Schenk—who previously collaborated with Clint Eastwood on “Gran Torino” and “The Mule”—traces what’s described as an elite cabal’s efforts to prevent the truth from surfacing.
“I love David and Goliath stories,” Liman told Variety. “‘Killing Satoshi’ follows unlikely antiheroes taking on the most powerful people on the planet in an epic battle that strikes at the core of what is money and who controls it.”
The film is being produced by Ryan Kavanaugh, the former Relativity Media CEO who financed films including “The Social Network” and “The Fighter” before his studio filed for bankruptcy in 2015.
Kavanaugh, who once planned to launch a token called Proxicoin to help fund film projects, is producing the film alongside Lawrence Grey and Shane Valdez.
“This is not just a movie about Bitcoin and its elusive and mysterious origins, but really about what it stands for,” Kavanaugh told Variety. “We look at this film much the same way as we did with ‘Social Network’ and its examination of Facebook.”
The film is set to begin production in October in London, with an expected 2026 release date.
Satoshi Nakamoto’s creation, which launched in 2009, birthed the nearly $4 trillion crypto industry, though the Bitcoin founder disappeared from the internet in 2011.
He’s potentially sitting on a massive trove of Bitcoin. Wallets connected to Satoshi hold about 1.1 million BTC, or approximately $122 billion, in today’s prices.