New $70 Million Bitcoin Movie Sparks Debate Over Satoshi

Hollywood is taking a swing at the mystery of Bitcoin with a new $70 million movie that puts Craig Wright at the center of the Satoshi Nakamoto story. Directed by Doug Liman and starring Casey Affleck alongside Gal Gadot, the production uses artificial intelligence to build its sets and keeps Wright's controversial claims alive on screen. Former Mt. Gox chief Mark Karpelres quickly pushed back against the hype, pointing audiences directly to public court records instead of cinematic storytelling.

The timing of the film brings fresh attention to an old debate, especially after a UK High Court judge ruled in 2024 that Wright did not write the Bitcoin white paper and engaged in extensive forgery. Judge Mellor found that Wright lied repeatedly during the proceedings, leading to a contempt finding and a suspended sentence after Wright filed massive legal claims against Bitcoin developers. Financial backer Calvin Ayre helped fund the movie, keeping his long association with Wright intact even as courts dismantled his claims.

While the movie finished filming and pitched buyers at Cannes, it still lacks a major distributor and has no official release date. For traders and crypto historians, the project shows that the true identity of Satoshi remains a powerful magnet for drama and money. Markets will likely shrug off the Hollywood retelling, but the debate proves that the early days of Bitcoin still capture mainstream attention.