MASSIVE corruption, the fall of a government (however short-lived), and a fugitive businessman; the story surrounding the 1MDB scandal is plenty dramatic and lends itself to an intriguing retelling.
Hollywood seems to think so, as House Of Cards creator Beau Willimon is teaming up with Crazy Rich Asians’ co-financier SK Global to develop a television series based on Tom Wright and Bradley Hope’s international bestseller Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the World.
Screenwriter David Henry Hwang, a three-time Pulitzer finalist and playwright, is writing and executive producing the project.
The book – and likely the series – focuses on the fugitive Jho Low, and his big-spending adventures on Wall Street and Hollywood. He operated in rarefied air in the intersection of politics, celebrity and international finance – with the alleged theft of billions of ringgit from the 1MDB investment fund.
Reportedly, the alleged amount stolen from 1MDB was estimated in September 2020 to be US$4.5 billion (RM18.8 billion) and a Malaysian government report listed 1MBD's outstanding debts to be at US$7.8 billion (RM32.7 billion).
He’s currently wanted by Malaysian authorities, as well as being investigated by law enforcement organisations in Singapore, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and the US. No one knows where he is, though it’s suspected that he might be somewhere in China, maybe Macau.
Based on the announcement for this show, it is still in the very early stages, with interesting updates like casting, likely taking place in the future. We do not even know the scope of the series or what platform it will be available on when it premiers in a couple years (probably).
Interestingly, among the Hollywood types involved, Datuk Michelle Yeoh will also be a producer on the series. That doesn’t necessarily mean she will have creative input into the show, she’s likely there to give the show some local ‘credibility’ given that she’s probably the most famous Malaysian in the West.
With the various cases against Jho Low, former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, still ongoing, a television show on their alleged corruption is likely to be controversial. – The Vibes, November 23, 2021
