Ozark’s star Julia Garner eyes for role of Caroline Ellison in Netflix’s FTX series: report

The Emmy-winning Ozark star Julia Garner is reportedly set to headline Netflix’s dramatization of the FTX saga as Caroline Ellison.

Julia Garner is reportedly in talks to play Caroline Ellison, a former top executive in Sam Bankman-Fried‘s fallen crypto empire, in an upcoming Netflix limited series about the collapse of the FTX crypto exchange, Variety has learned, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The role would reunite the Emmy-winning Ozark star with Netflix, where she also appeared in Inventing Anna, Maniac, and The Get Down.

The series will follow the rise and fall of FTX through the lens of the relationship between Ellison and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. The untitled series would “explore the story of the infamous cryptocurrency exchange through the lens of the love story of Caroline Ellison and Sam Bankman-Fried,” Variety reported. Garner is also expected to serve as an executive producer on the project.

Netflix has reportedly ordered eight episodes, with filming scheduled to begin this summer. Graham Moore, who won an Academy Award for The Imitation Game, will serve as writer, executive producer, and co-showrunner. Jacqueline Hoyt, known for The Leftovers and The Good Wife, will also be executive producer and co-showrunner.

Other executive producers include Barack and Michelle Obama under their Higher Ground banner, Vinnie Malhotra, Scoop Wasserstein of Scoop Productions, and Lauren Morelli. James Ponsoldt will direct the first episode and executive produce as well.

FTX collapsed in November 2022 amid allegations of embezzlement and misappropriation of billions of dollars in customer funds involving its owners and affiliated hedge fund Alameda Research. Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the exchange, was sentenced to 25 years in prison and ordered to reimburse $11 billion.

Caroline Ellison pleaded guilty to conspiracy and financial fraud charges, and was sentenced to 24 months in prison.