Showtime has released a trailer for its upcoming series “Billions” — which appears to be inspired by US Attorney Preet Bharara’s pursuit of criminal charges against hedge-fund mogul Steve Cohen.
In the show, to debut Jan. 17, the Academy Award-nominated actor Paul Giamatti plays righteous federal prosecutor Chuck Rhoades, who’s bent on taking down powerful, foul-mouthed hedge-fund mogul Bobby Axelrod, played by “Homeland” star Damian Lewis.
Giamatti, who wears a perpetual scowl, channels the famous Bharara line that no company is “too big to jail” by saying, “What we do has consequences.”
After he learns the feds are probing his firm, Lewis tells a pal, “When did it become a crime to succeed in this country?” If you close your eyes, you can practically hear Cohen saying those exact words.
We asked spokespersons for both Cohen and Bharara if they had seen the trailer and what they thought about it. Both declined to comment.
Tale of the Tape
Steven Cohen Name Bobby “Axe” Axelrod
SAC Capital Hedge Fund Axe Capital
He’s famous for it Art-Filled Office It complements his threads
Yes, indeed Mansion With Pool He looks great at poolside
Maybach Car of Choice Aston-Martin V12