Netflix has set a November 19 premiere date for The Altruists, its eight-episode series starring Julia Garner as Caroline Ellison and Anthony Boyle as Sam Bankman-Fried. The streamer also released a first look at the series ahead of its debut.
Inspired by New York Magazine articles by Kevin T. Dugan and Jen Wieczner, The Altruists follows Bankman-Fried and Ellison as they set out to reshape the global financial system before being accused of stealing $8 billion.
What Is The Altruists About?
Netflix’s official synopsis reads:
“The story of Sam Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison, two hyper-smart, ambitious young idealists who tried to remake the global financial system in the blink of an eye – before they were accused of stealing $8 billion and became Gen Z’s own Bonnie & Clyde.”
The Altruists Comes to Netflix on November 19
The Altruists is written and created by Graham Moore, who serves as co-showrunner with Jacqueline Hoyt. Both are also executive producers.
Instead of simply approaching the story through the headlines surrounding Bankman-Fried and Ellison, Moore said the series gave the writers room to focus more closely on the two people at its center.
“From the very beginning, I was so fascinated by both Sam’s and Caroline’s real stories,” Moore said. He described them as characters he “could not have possibly made up” and said the format allowed the series to move beyond the headline version of events and tell what the writers saw as a more personal story about the pair.
Hoyt similarly stated that the series focuses on the two individuals and their “morally conflicted motives,” with the intention of giving viewers a better understanding of why they made the choices they did.
Netflix describes Bankman-Fried and Ellison as two ambitious young idealists who wanted to remake the financial system before everything fell apart around them.
Julia Garner and Anthony Boyle Lead The Altruists Cast
Garner leads the series as Caroline Ellison, with Boyle playing Sam Bankman-Fried.
The main cast also includes:
- Alex Lawther as Sam Trabucco
- Karan Soni as Nishad Singh
- Naomi Okada as Claire Watanabe
- Madison Hu as Constance Wang
- Matt Rife as Ryan Salame
- Eugene Young as Gary Wang
There are plenty of familiar names among the additional cast as well:
- Paul Reiser plays Joe Bankman
- Robin Weigert plays Barbara Fried
- Jennifer Grey plays Sara Fisher Ellison
- Maddie Hasson appears as Lauren Remington Platt
- Terry Chen as CZ
- William Mapother as Dr. George Lerner
- Jack Greenlees as Will MacAskill
- Hudson Williams as Duncan Rheingans-Yoo.
Elizabeth Adams, Hannah Galway, Donald Heng, David James Lewis, Marianna Phung and Jasmine Lukuku round out the additional cast announced by Netflix.
Who Is Behind Netflix’s The Altruists?
The eight episodes will be handled by several directors.
James Ponsoldt directs the premiere, followed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez on Episodes 2 and 3 and Mairzee Almas on Episodes 4 and 5. Moore directs Episode 6 himself, while Silver Tree takes over for Episodes 7 and 8.
Moore and Hoyt executive produce alongside Barack and Michelle Obama, Jessie Dicovitsky and Vinnie Malhotra for Higher Ground Productions. Scoop Wasserstein executive-produces for New York Magazine/Vox Media Studios, with Tonia Davis, James Ponsoldt, Lauren Morelli, and Garner also serving as executive producers.
FAQ
When does The Altruists premiere on Netflix?
The Altruists premieres November 19 on Netflix.
Who plays Sam Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison in The Altruists?
Anthony Boyle plays Sam Bankman-Fried, while Julia Garner stars as Caroline Ellison.
How many episodes are in The Altruists?
Netflix has confirmed that The Altruists will have eight episodes.
Key Details
- Release date: November 19
- Platform: Netflix
- Episodes: 8
- Julia Garner: Caroline Ellison
- Anthony Boyle: Sam Bankman-Fried
- Creator: Graham Moore
- Showrunners: Graham Moore and Jacqueline Hoyt
- Source material: New York Magazine articles by Kevin T. Dugan and Jen Wieczner