Bitcoin, Trash, and Obsession . Hollywood is turning one of the most bizarre crypto tales of the decade into a blockbuster—the legendary story of James Howells and the $750 million Bitcoin hard drive lost in a landfill. A Los Angeles-based production company has officially secured the rights to adapt his journey for the screen, bringing a dramatic and costly mistake to life in cinematic form.
James Howells, an IT worker from Newport, Wales, accidentally threw away an old hard drive in 2013 that contained the private keys to 8,000 Bitcoins—a fortune now worth more than $750 million. Since then, he’s been on a relentless mission to retrieve it, battling red tape, environmental regulations, and public skepticism. His efforts have included multi-million-dollar excavation plans, robot-assisted landfill scanning, and negotiations with the local council—all in the hope of recovering that digital gold.
The film promises to be more than just a cautionary tale about poor data management. It’s a story of obsession, determination, and the strange new world of cryptocurrency. In the age of digital assets and lost fortunes, Howells’ saga has become symbolic of both the volatility and the promise of crypto wealth. It’s the ultimate “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” story—except the trash might literally be sitting atop hundreds of millions.
Early buzz suggests the film will blend drama, humor, and high-stakes tension, potentially making it a crypto-themed version of The Big Short or The Social Network. With digital currencies becoming ever more mainstream, audiences may soon find themselves glued to the screen as James Howells digs—both literally and metaphorically—for a second chance at unimaginable wealth. Bitcoin, Trash, and Obsession
