Jason Bateman is to direct and star in ‘IPO Man’.
The new movie is based on an article in Wired magazine entitled ‘Meet The Man Who Sold His Fate To Investors At $1 A Share’, and will see Bateman play the lead character, Mike Merrill, who achieved notoriety after turning himself into a commodity, Deadline reports.
In 2008, Merrill made his stock available for $1 per share of 1,000 shares, of which he sold 928 of them to friends, family, his girlfriend and others.
The project started off as mere curiosity and even though Merrill always retained a controlling interest in himself, his investors assumed control of how he would conduct himself in a professional context.
Their influence ultimately extended into his personal life, causing Merrill to lose his girlfriend, who complained of how he’d change since becoming a commodity.
What’s more, investors were able to exert a degree of influence in his future dealings with would-be partners and Merrill was still allowing his investors to do this when the article was published.
Bateman, 45, recently finished filming ‘Horrible Bosses 2’ in which he appears alongside the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Jamie Foxx.
The sequel to the 2011 comedy film is due out next month.
Jason Bateman to direct and star in IPO Man
