Several projects on GameStop Wall Street fiasco in development

The whole GameStop Wall Street fiasco started by the Reddit feed r/WallStreetBets, has not only spurred millions of ordinary people to start taking a greater interest in the stock market and possibly use their numbers to affect the economy the way investors could only dream of, but it is also incredibly entertaining. This is why studios have such an interest in telling that story.

Following news that MGM has already acquired the rights to a film about the events from a still-to-be-written book by Ben Mezrich, comes news that there is not just one, but two other projects in the works from other studios looking to capitalise on its relevance and tell the remarkable story of events from differing viewpoints.

Firstly, we have a report from Deadline that Netflix is bringing in Mark Boal to write a screenplay about the events with expert Scott Galloway consulting on the project. The project is only just being put together, but Netflix really wants to ensure it is done quickly and has already signed Noah Centineo to act in the project, though it’s not clear what role he will be playing just yet.

Centineo is so excited about the idea behind the project that he was keen to get involved without even knowing all the details of his role and without a script.

They may not have a script, but according to the report Netflix wants to use the film to “shine a light on the phenomenon of how social media has levelled the playing field and allowed the masses to challenge status quo gatekeepers, for good and bad”.

Along with this new Netflix movie is another report from Deadline that a small independent production company, Pinky Promise, created by Jessamine Burgum and Matthew Cooper, is making a series titled To The Moon which will also be focusing on the crazy events of the past few weeks.

The series is said to be  following the story of “two roommates laid off from their jobs at GameStop and AMC, who turn Covid into lemonade by using their stimulus cheques to dip into the world of day trading”.

It’s certainly a fast turn of events to try and put together a TV series based on the events, but according to Burgum they are “working with long-time, active members of the r/WallStreetBets on Reddit to make sure we tell the story correctly. This is a movement that could very well dictate the future of Wall Street and an individual’s beliefs that they can stand up to Goliath. Getting this right is our top priority”.

Interest in projects about the GameStop story is perhaps not surprising given how chaotic and tumultuous the past week has been on Wall Street and the potential impact it could have on the future of the industry.

What is impressive is just how quickly these projects are coming together, though it is fitting that if you’re going to recreate the current chaos it is causing the industry, its only fair to create some chaos in putting it all together.

None of these projects have release dates yet, but it seems clear that studios want to rush to be the first to capitalise on the story, so we should be seeing a lot more about these stories in the near future.