In the first major film about one of the biggest scams in US history, Robert De Niro is set to portray convicted fraudster Bernie Madoff.
In 2008, Madoff was arrested after it was discovered that he had defrauded investors out of approximately $50 billion through a Ponzi scheme.
The HBO film will draw inspiration from the newly released book Truth and Consequences: Life Inside the Madoff Family.
Penned by Laurie Sandell, the book details the events following Madoff’s arrest in 2008.
The cooperation of Madoff’s son, Andrew, and other family members aided the author’s storytelling.
She discloses that both the fraudster and his wife, Ruth, tried to take their own lives as the scope of his deceit became evident.
In June 2009, Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison and has since been estranged from his family.
His eldest son, Mark, tragically took his own life in December 2010, unable to cope with the shame stemming from the suffering his father had inflicted on thousands of investors.
Alongside his partner Jane Rosenthal, De Niro is also taking on the role of producer for the film through his company, Tribeca Productions.
