A $70m Hollywood film about Bitcoin has entered post-production, with its portrayal of Craig Wright as the cryptocurrency’s pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, likely to trigger a fresh debate within the Bitcoin community.
The feature, titled Bitcoin, stars Gal Gadot, Casey Affleck, Pete Davidson and Isla Fisher. It is directed by Doug Liman, whose previous blockbuster credits include The Bourne Identity and Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
Post-production is usually regarded as the fifth stage of a seven-step filmmaking process. It involves assembling and refining raw footage into a completed film, allowing producers to begin arranging its sale and eventual release to the public.
The project’s substantial budget, high-profile cast and Liman’s experience could give it significant mainstream reach. Producers have also used artificial intelligence to create environments for the film, adding to its potential as a major commercial production.
However, author and podcaster Terence Michael believes the film’s treatment of Wright’s claim to be Satoshi Nakamoto could divide audiences and provoke a strong reaction from Bitcoin supporters.
“Based on the film’s premise, the movie is going to skew toward Craig Wright being Satoshi. How could he not be Satoshi if a coalition of tech billionaires, governments, and crypto organizations spent hundreds of millions just to discredit him? That will be the narrative,” Michael explained in an X post.
Michael said the film could influence public opinion by presenting Wright’s position through a Hollywood production.
“The mainstream public will watch this and accept it as gospel truth, leaving the Bitcoin community forced to constantly play defense against a Hollywood-backed revision of history.”
Production began towards the end of February, according to previous reporting by Bitcoin.com News. The film was written by Nick Schenk and produced by Ryan Kavanaugh and Lawrence Grey.
Its focus on Wright’s past claims appears likely to revive a controversy that had seemingly faded after a ruling by a UK court rejected his assertion that he was Bitcoin’s creator. Wright’s website later added a notice clarifying that he was not, in fact, Satoshi Nakamoto.
The involvement of Calvin Ayre, a prominent supporter and promoter of Wright’s claim, has added to speculation about the film’s intentions. Some observers believe Wright’s supporters could be seeking to use Hollywood’s reach to work around the impact of the court ruling.
Reflecting on Ayre’s role in the project, Michael wrote:
“So although a huge budget with A-list stars… it’s really an indie movie made by Calvin Ayre about Craig Wright. As of this post, there’s no major domestic distributor outside of some international sales.”
The project has already prompted scepticism and disagreement among members of the crypto community. Some have criticised the decision to give further exposure to claims they regard as long debunked, while others have called on people within the industry to finance a rival film focused on what they consider Satoshi Nakamoto’s true legacy.
With post-production now under way, Bitcoin is moving closer to a release that could bring the long-running argument over Nakamoto’s identity to a much wider audience.
