EXCLUSIVE: Gotham and The O.C. star Ben McKenzie has made his feature directorial debut on documentary Everyone Is Lying To You For Money, a scathing portrait of the world of cryptocurrency, which will receive its world premiere at SXSW London in June.
Written, directed and produced by McKenzie, alongside producer Giorgio Angelini, the feature was filmed over three years in New York, London, Austin, El Salvador and Miami.
The film includes an interview with Sam Bankman-Fried, filmed just months before he was indicted on multiple charges of fraud and conspiracy, and with Alex Mashinksy, similarly filmed months before his company, which at its peak purported to hold $25BN in assets, declared bankruptcy. It also highlights El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, and his connection to the world of cryptocurrency. Other interview subjects include celebrities, a pseudonymous whistleblower, and numerous victims.
The documentary culminates in McKenzie, who has a degree in economics, testifying to the Senate Banking Committee, where he denounces crypto as “the largest Ponzi scheme in history”. Verve is repping sales on the film.
Watch on Deadline
The doc also features snapshots of the TV star’s home life in Brooklyn which he shares with actress Morena Baccarin and their kids, as Covid-induced boredom triggers a deep dive down the crypto rabbit hole.
McKenzie, who recently wrapped an acting role in action film Motor City, said: “When I started warning people about crypto fraud in the fall of 2021, I caught a bunch of flack from the bros online. Now a lot of those guys are in jail, and sadly millions of investors lost their shirts to these conmen. Why is the false story of crypto still spreading? That’s the question I set out to answer with this film. I cannot wait for audiences to see Everyone Is Lying To You For Money, a comedy that treats crypto and the creeps shilling it with the respect they deserve: zero.”
The post ‘Gotham’ & ‘The O.C.’ Star Ben McKenzie Makes Film Directing Debut On Crypto Doc ‘Everyone Is Lying To You For Money’, Which Will Launch At SXSW London appeared first on Deadline.
