David Farnor | On 23, May 2018

“Whether you like it or not, we’re all connected by money.” That’s the sound of Kal Penn taking on the giant beast that is the global economy, in a new Amazon series called… This Giant Beast That Is the Global Economy.

The globe-trotting documentary, commissioned last year, will explore how money, greed and power affect our hyper-connected world, from cryptocurrency and money laundering to death and corruption. Penn, former White House Associate Director of Public Engagement, will take viewers around the world to meet the geniuses, madmen and hucksters who make the decisions – and investments – that change our lives.

The series is executive produced by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay (The Big Short), Kevin Messick, Eli Holzman (Project Runway) Aaron Saidman (Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, Declassified: Untold Stories of American Spies) and Aliyah Silverstein (Hacking Robot).

“Adam McKay is well known for finding the humour and absurdity in mind-blowing true stories, and we’re excited to bring that to Prime members with this series,” commented Heather Schuster, Head of Unscripted, Amazon Originals, at the time.

“Adam Davidson is one of the more brilliant and funny minds out there,” added McKay. “After collaborating with him on The Big Short, I jumped at the chance to continue trying to make economics and finance accessible to a wide audience.”

How can you launder a bag of dirty cash? How scared should Iyoube of a rubber apocalypse? And is it easier for dicks to get rich? From death and Instagram to Bitcoin and monster trucks, This Giant Beast That Is the Global Economy promises to answer all the questions you’ve ever had – and some you don’t.

The series premieres on Amazon Prime Video on 22nd February. Here’s the trailer:

 

This Giant Beast That Is the Global Economy is available to watch online on Amazon Prime Video as part of a Prime membership or a £5.99 monthly subscription.

 

Kal Penn, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay team up for Amazon docuseries

23rd May 2018

Kal Penn, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay are teaming up for a new docuseries at Amazon Prime Video.

The untitled series will follow Kal Penn as he embarks on an international tour of the global economy, exposing the fascinating, funny and mind-blowing ways that money plays a pivotal role in all of our lives

Promising an into the global economy and its comedic eccentricities, all through McKay’s typically sardonic lens, it will explore how money, greed and power affect our hyper-connected world, from cryptocurrency and money laundering to death and corruption. Penn, former White House Associate Director of Public Engagement, will take viewers around the world to meet the geniuses, madmen and hucksters who make the decisions – and investments – that change our lives.

The series is executive produced by Ferrell, McKay, Kevin Messick, Eli Holzman (Project Runway) Aaron Saidman (Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, Declassified: Untold Stories of American Spies) and Aliyah Silverstein (Hacking Robot), and produced by Intellectual Property Corporation and Gary Sanchez Productions. Adam Davidson is a Co-Executive Producer, and Penn is a Consulting Producer.

“Adam McKay is well known for finding the humour and absurdity in mind-blowing true stories, and we’re excited to bring that to Prime members with this series,” comments Heather Schuster, Head of Unscripted, Amazon Originals. “As with all of our unscripted series, we are committed to providing our customers with unprecedented access—this time to the fascinating, and often illusive back rooms of global wealth and industry.”

“Adam Davidson is one of the more brilliant and funny minds out there,” adds McKay. “After collaborating with him on The Big Short, I jumped at the chance to continue trying to make economics and finance accessible to a wide audience.”

“Look, I’m terrible at math and really good at sophomoric humour (that means dick jokes, kids!), so the idea that we can explore economics around the world by visiting places like a dildo factory in California piqued my interest,” says Penn. “To have an opportunity to explore the world while we combine the serious with the bizarre with Adam and Will is super exciting.”

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