Jordan Belfort and James Packer Turning ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ Into a TV Show
The real “Wolf of Wall Street” Jordan Belfort is teaming up with billionaire James Packer to produce a TV series about the excesses of the New York stock market traders in the 1980s.
New Magazine reported that the disgraced stockbroker will be co-writing the show, with “Rush Hour” helmer Brett Ratner directing.
“The idea was to come up with a show about that period and with really interesting characters, and so my manager pitched the idea to Brett Ratner, who fell in love with it,” he told the magazine.
Belfort enlisted the help of Packer to finance the project.
“I respect Jordan for his perseverance. Like many others, he is a man that made a lot of mistakes but he isn’t hiding. Jordan worked hard to build his new career and this adventure is an important part of his journey,” Packer added.
Reports claim that the project will be in the style of the U.S. series “Mad Men.” It’s unclear if it will show in Australia, in the U.S. or both. The setting is expected to take place in New York City.
It’s unlikely that “The Wolf of Wall Street” stars Leonardo DiCaprio, who played Belfort, and Australian actress Margot Robbie will be reprising their roles as it’s not even clear if it will follow the same story as Belfort memoir, on which the film is based.
“The Wolf of Wall Street,” which was produced and directed by Martin Scorsese, grossed over U$392 million at the box office since it was released in December 2013. It follows the story of Belfort as he emerges as an up-and-coming stockbroker to a fraudster who engages in immoral activities until he is captured by the FBI.
The film earned accolades from various award-giving bodies, including Best Picture, Best Director (Scorsese), Best Actor (DiCaprio), Best Supporting Actor (Jonah Hill) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Terence Winter) at the Academy Awards.
