American media company Lebul has acquired exclusive rights to develop and produce the story of British man James Howells, who lost a hard drive containing 7500 BTC.
Twelve years of planning searches and battling municipal authorities will serve as the foundation for a “multiplatform media project,” which includes a documentary series, podcast, and social media content.
The series is titled “The Buried Bitcoin: The Real-Life Treasure Hunt of James Howells.”
“This is not just content. It’s a tech thriller with live actors, with nearly a billion dollars at stake,” said Rhys Van Allen of Lebul.
According to a press release, the project has already attracted interest from international sponsors, “crypto leaders,” and streaming platforms.
In 2013, a hard drive containing the keys to Howells’ bitcoin wallet was mistakenly thrown into a rubbish bin and subsequently taken to a landfill along with other waste.
Since then, the Briton has repeatedly attempted to retrieve the device: offering money to authorities, and proposing searches using X-ray scanning and Boston Dynamics’ robotic dogs.
Experts believe that the likelihood of finding the hard drive at the landfill and recovering data from it is close to zero.