There was a time when blood test startup Theranos was the darling of Silicon Valley and the media. But recent reports have turned the bloody tide against the firm, whose proprietary blood-testing device was once deemed revolutionary.
As the plot thickens, so does the story of Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes whose current net worth is exactly zero. But there could be hope yet, at least on the big screen. A new report said that award-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence will be playing Holmes in the upcoming biopic about Theranos and its CEO.
The forthcoming film will be directed by Adam McKay who transitioned from bro comedy - Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Step Brothers - to more serious films. He directed the successful dramatization of the 2008 financial crisis in the recent movie The Big Short.
The Theranos biopic will be produced by Gary Sanchez Productions. Producer Kevin Messick is preparing to talk to several buyers starting next week.
As for Lawrence, she is currently one of Hollywood's darlings. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2013 for her role in the movie Silver Linings Playbook. In 2014, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in the movie American Hustle.
Theranos Blood War
Theranos' blood war is still ongoing and Holmes has not left the company she founded. Holmes dropped out of Stanford University because she believed that her college tuition money can be used, instead, to "transform healthcare" across the United States.
In late May, the blood test company voided the results of its 2014 to 2015 blood tests that were conducted using their proprietary Edison machines. During the same month, the company announced Theranos president Sunny Balwani's retirement.
The company is being investigated by both the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and San Francisco's U.S. Attorney's Office. Amid the blood-curling updates, Theranos remains standing. Apart from boosting its board with medical experts, the company is also massively hiring new employees.
While no one knows for sure the fate of Holmes' blood test company, Lawrence's attachment to the upcoming biopic sure adds to the excitement. As Lawrence prepares to wear the now iconic black turtleneck and all-black ensemble, it's more interesting to watch who will deliver the better performance.
Will it be Lawrence who will, yet again, portray another female entrepreneur as she did in the 2015 American biographical comedy-drama film Joy, or will it be Holmes as the once revered CEO trying to recover from the bloody mess?
