Dumb Money is the latest real-life-inspired film that had Hollywood clambering to tell the story soon after it happened.
Usually, films based on a true story happen years and even decades after the actual event has occurred, but with Dumb Money, it would most certainly have been, erm, dumb, not to cash in and wait to bring it to the big screen.
And with big names stars such as America Ferrera, Shailene Woodley, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Vincent D'Onofrio and Pete Davidson in prominent roles, you're sure that this star-studded comedy-drama film is set to be a crucial watch.
Based on Ben Mezrich's 2021 book, The Antisocial Network: The GameStop Short Squeeze and the Ragtag Group of Amateur Traders That Brought Wall Street to Its Knees, the movie will chronicle how a set of average everyday folks flipped the script on Wall Street and got rich by turning the videogame store GameStop in the most sought-after company.
The official synopsis from Black Bear Pictures reads: "A loosely connected group of investors and internet trolls take down one of the largest hedge funds on Wall Street as they fight against the GameStop short squeeze."
Sony Pictures adds: "Dumb Money is the ultimate David vs. Goliath tale, based on the insane true story of everyday people who flipped the script on Wall Street and got rich by turning GameStop (yes, the mall videogame store) into the world's hottest company.
"In the middle of everything is regular guy Keith Gill (Paul Dano), who starts it all by sinking his life savings into the stock and posting about it. When his social posts start blowing up, so does his life and the lives of everyone following him. As a stock tip becomes a movement, everyone gets rich – until the billionaires fight back, and both sides find their worlds turned upside down."
Hollywood's excitement for the story is understandable, as the real-life events dominated headlines when it happened in early 2021
The sudden price rise in stocks for the video game retailer GameStop negatively impacted Wall Street. It led to almost $6billion worth of losses for hedge funds like Melvin Capital and individual short sellers. The bizarre sequence of events championed how everyday people were able to take control of the stock market, with a group of rag-tag investors from the Reddit page called r/WallStreetBets coming together to put the squeeze on two hedge funds that had placed a bet that GameStop would fall.
This came after the group was originally set up as a lighthearted place for amateur investors to get together and chat about all things investments. We love a good, humble beginning.
Meanwhile, you can watch the exhilarating, money-crunching trailer for the Craig Gillespie-directed movie right here.
Dumb Money will premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and hit cinemas on 22 September.
