The Forge has acquired North American distribution rights and international sales rights to Everyone Is Lying to You for Money, the directorial debut from The OC, Gotham and Southland star Ben McKenzie.
The film is based on the best-selling book “Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud,” which MacKenzie co-wrote with Jacob Silverman. Everyone Is Lying to You for Money will have its world premiere at SXSW London 2025 and will be released in theaters on April 17th.
Everybody Lies to You for Money follows Mackenzie as an investigator turned investigator who brings down the curtain on the cryptocurrency industry and the culture of hype, misinformation, and speculation that fueled its explosive rise. According to the official description, “What began as a promise of financial freedom has evolved into a volatile ecosystem rife with fraud and reckless gambling, with devastating consequences for everyday people.” Based on first-hand accounts and interviews with experts, the film traces how cryptocurrencies became one of the most aggressively marketed financial products of our time, and how warning signs were ignored, ignored, or intentionally hidden. “Everyone Is Lying to You for Money” was produced by MacKenzie and Giogio Angelini.
“We all know how hard it is to stay in your seat these days. I console myself with the fact that if I can somehow avoid losing $50 million, I’ll make more money on Everybody’s Liing than on Melania,” McKenzie said in a statement, nodding to Amazon’s high-priced acquisition of documents related to Melania Trump. “Working with Mark and the talented team at The Forge, we are optimistic that we can achieve that ambitious goal.”
“Ben has delivered a film that is both urgent and darkly funny at a time when our financial system, digital markets and public trust are all under scrutiny,” said Marc Mathias Thayer, CEO of The Forge. “Everybody Lies for Money not only reconsiders the crypto boom, it also questions the culture that allowed it to thrive. We believe it’s exactly the kind of bold, conversation-starting documentary that deserves its place in theaters and beyond.”
The deal was negotiated on behalf of the filmmakers by Amy Beecroft (Verve), Mackenzie (Easy Money Productions) and Nicholas Murrell (Phillips Murrell LLP), and on behalf of The Forge by Mark Thayer, Steve Swadling and Decker Sadowski.
Check out the teaser below.
