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Recasting the upcoming GameStop movie: Here's who should play Ken Griffin, Steve Cohen, and the rest of the gang

Dan DeFrancesco   

Recasting the upcoming GameStop movie: Here's who should play Ken Griffin, Steve Cohen, and the rest of the gang
Finance4 min read

Almost Friday! Dan DeFrancesco in NYC.

Today, we've got stories on a Goldman Sachs shareholder asking about David Solomon's use of the bank's jets, Wall Street's "new" money, and what you need to do to fix your gut.

But first, let's run it from the top one more time.


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1. Action!

Wall Street is getting the Hollywood treatment again.

The meme-stock saga, headlined by GameStop's meteoric rise, is being made into a movie. Details are scant on the film, which is set to be released in October, but we know some of the cast...

Mistakes were made.

To right this wrong, I recast the movie. Because what is journalism if not the ability to second-guess people who hold more power than you could ever dream of achieving yourself.

(FYI- I linked out to pictures of all these people in case you're having a tough time putting a face to a name.)


Cast: Paul Dano as Keith Gill

Replacement: Andrew Garfield

Look, I don't have a major issue with the original pick. My only concern is that Gill has a certain level of youthful joy that seems a bit out of reach for Dano, who's at his best in darker roles ("The Batman," "Little Miss Sunshine," "There Will be Blood.") I think Garfield can find a better balance between serious and fun.


Cast: Seth Rogen as Melvin Capital's Gabe Plotkin

Replacement: Adam Scott

This is such an egregious choice. I love Rogen. I think he's supremely talented. But Gabe Plotkin he is not. Plotkin looks like the stereotypical finance bro you see at your Equinox every morning. (No offense, Gabe; I'm in the same boat.) Scott is a better fit physically. He can also play funny ("Parks and Rec), mean ("Step Brothers"), and serious ("Severance").


Cast: Nick Offerman as Citadel's Ken Griffin

Replacement: Matthew Macfadyen

This is another one that doesn't sit well with me. Offerman is great — I'm still crying from that "Last of Us" episode — but I don't see him as a buttoned-up hedge-fund type. I'm subbing in arguably the best actor from "Succession." We'll need to age him a bit, but Macfadyen knows his way around high finance.


Cast: Vincent D'Onofrio as Point72's Steve Cohen

Replacement: Woody Harrelson

The size discrepancy between D'Onofrio and Cohen should be reason enough to call an audible on this one. Harrelson, who once described himself as an anarchist, probably doesn't have much in common with Cohen, but I think he can play both sides of his personality: hedge-fund king and "Uncle Stevie."


Cast: Sebastian Stan as Robinhood's Vlad Tenev

Replacement: None

No notes from me on this one. Job well done.


Cast: Rushi Kota as Robinhood's Baiju Bhatt

Replacement: Dev Patel

No knock on Kota, but I feel like Patel is criminally underrated.


Some more casting options for people who were involved in the GameStop saga.

- Sheryl Lee Ralph as US Congresswoman Maxine Waters (I realize there is an age gap here, but Ralph is too good on "Abbott Elementary" not to include.)

- Connie Britton as Ark Invest's Cathie Wood (Who isn't a fan of Britton?)

- Paul Giamatti as AMC's Adam Aron (This guy knows his way around Wall Street.)

- Helen Mirren as US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen (It's Dame Helen Mirren to you!)

For more on the upcoming GameStop movie, including who is set to play the "pot-smoking retail trader," click here.


In other news:

2. A Goldman Sachs' shareholder is asking about David Solomon's use of its private jets. An investor suggested the bank name an independent chairman of the board, a role Solomon currently holds, citing recent reports of his use of the firm's private planes. On Monday, Insider reported on where the company's two corporate jets have flown over the past 15 months.

3. So about First Republic... The regional bank known for catering to the wealthy seems to be on its last legs, as it looks to sell its assets and raise cash. But First Republic has one thing going for it: Its failure would be shouldered by other banks. Here's why the rest of Wall Street might be motivated to help First Republic.

4. Wall Street's new money. They're newly rich, don't come from extraordinary wealth, and aren't retired. Meet the new generation of the ultra-rich on Wall Street.

5. Who's the finance CEO with the best brand? A recent report aims to answer that question, judging executives on five different metrics. BlackRock's Larry Fink took the top spot, according to Institutional Investor. But you might be surprised by some of the other names high on the list. (I certainly was!)

6. The future of the housing market. It's a top-of-mind question for seemingly everyone. A housing economist breaks down the five markets that could see significant price dips — look out, Utah — along with a prediction on where mortgage rates will be by year-end. More here.

7. Point72 is offering a $300,000 salary for someone to train up its analysts. Who says teachers are underpaid? (This is a joke; please don't email me.) eFinancialCareers has the deets on a role Steve Cohen's hedge fund is hiring within its Investment Professional Development team. For more on the program that trains soon-to-be analysts, click here.

8. What it's like to fly semi-private. Sure, you don't have the plane to yourself, but it still beats being back in economy. Take a peak at what it's like to fly with JSX, where fares can run as low as $249 one-way. Check out the pics here.

9. Apple wants to be your new health coach. The tech giant is looking into using a combination of data from the Apple Watch and AI to suggest changes to diet, exercise, and sleep. Here's what we know about the initiative.

10. Good for the gut. Take these seven steps to start your day and your gut health will be in much better shape, according to a dietitian. Here's how you need to tweak your morning routine.


Curated by Dan DeFrancesco in New York. Feedback or tips? Email ddefrancesco@insider.com, tweet @dandefrancesco, or connect on LinkedIn. Edited by Jeffrey Cane (tweet @jeffrey_cane) in New York and Nathan Rennolds (tweet @ncrennolds) in London.


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