The Beanie Bubble is a 2023 American comedy-drama film directed by Kristin Gore and Damian Kulash. It is based on the 2015 book The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute by Zac Bissonnette. The film stars Zach Galifianakis, Elizabeth Banks, Sarah Snook, and Geraldine Viswanathan.
The film tells the story of Ty Warner (Galifianakis), a struggling toy salesman who creates Beanie Babies, a line of stuffed toys that quickly become wildly popular. Warner and his team of women (Banks, Snook, Viswanathan) capitalize on the craze, but the bubble soon bursts.
We witness the rise and fall of the Beanie Baby craze through the eyes of Ty Warner and his team. It shows how the craze was fueled by a combination of factors, including limited availability, the rise of the internet, and the desire for people to own a piece of the latest fad.
The film explores the dark side of the Beanie Baby craze and shows how people were willing to spend thousands of dollars on Beanie Babies, even though they were not much worth. The zeitgeist led to scams, strange investments, and the portrayal of this strangeness will leave very few indifferent.
The Beanie Bubble premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 10, 2023, and was released on Apple TV+ on July 28, 2023.
Release Date
July 28, 2023
Where to Watch
The Stars
Zach Galifianakis
Zachary Knight Galifianakis, an American actor and comedian, was born on October 1, 1969. He has made notable appearances in various comedy shows and films throughout his career. Galifianakis showcased his talent in a Comedy Central Presents special and hosted his own show, Late World with Zach, on VH1. Since 2008, he has served as the host of the talk show Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis, produced by Funny or Die. In addition, Galifianakis starred in the FX series Baskets, which earned him a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2017.
Galifianakis has also made a mark in the film industry, featuring in notable movies such as The Hangover trilogy (2009โ2013), Due Date (2010), It’s Kind of a Funny Story (2010), The Campaign (2012), Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014), and Masterminds (2016). Furthermore, he has lent his voice to animated characters in films like Puss in Boots (2011), The Lego Batman Movie (2017), Missing Link (2019), Ron’s Gone Wrong (2021), and The Bob’s Burgers Movie (2022).
Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks, born on February 10, 1974, is an accomplished American actress, producer, and director. She gained recognition for her portrayal of Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games film series (2012โ2015) and Gail Abernathy-McKadden in the Pitch Perfect film series (2012โ2017). In 2015, Banks marked her directorial debut with Pitch Perfect 2, which achieved a remarkable opening-weekend gross of $69 million, setting a record for a first-time director. She further demonstrated her versatility by directing, writing, producing, and starring in the action comedy film Charlie’s Angels (2019). Additionally, she directed and produced the horror comedy film Cocaine Bear (2023). In October 2002, Banks co-founded the esteemed film and television production company, Brownstone Productions, along with her husband Max Handelman.
Banks commenced her film career with the independent film Surrender Dorothy (1998). She has since appeared in a diverse range of films, including Wet Hot American Summer (2001), Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy (2002โ2007), The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), Invincible (2006), Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008), Role Models (2008), The Next Three Days (2010), Man on a Ledge (2012), Movie 43 (2013), The Lego Movie (2014) and its 2019 sequel, Love & Mercy (2014), Walk of Shame (2014), Magic Mike XXL (2015), Power Rangers (2017), and The Beanie Bubble (2023).
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