By: Serach Nissim
On Friday, the Television series “WeCrashed” debuted, based on the podcast of the same name. It seeks to tell the saga of the WeWork company and its downfall. The first three episodes, of the eight in the series, hit Apple TV on March 18, starring Jared Leto depicting co-founder Adam Neumann and Anne Hathaway as his wife Rebekah Neumann. The pilot episode had been premiered at the annual SXSW on March 12, 2022.
As per the Wall Street Journal, the fact-based TV series seems to blame the company’s failure on the pioneer of the shared-work spaces, making repeated inferences as to Mr. Neumann’s alleged incapacity, poor judgment and excessive spending. In 2019, following its botched attempt at an IPO with a $47 billion valuation, WeWork went through an embarrassing and significant devaluation, during which Neumann was paid off to leave the company. The company, once one of the world’s most valuable startups, was bailed out by Japanese tech investment fund SoftBank, and is now led by CEO Sandeep Mathrani.
The miniseries, which portrays Mr. Neumann as a toxic leader, starts him off as a serial entrepreneur jumping from one endeavor to the next looking for success. Written by Drew Crevello & Lee Eisenberg, it describes him as full of pride and confidence in his potential to deliver good to the world. He is shown giving charasmatic speeches to investors and college students alike. The storyline then introduces Mr. Neumann to Rebekah, whom he becomes infatuated with but who is unimpressed in return.
The WSJ noted the distinguished and impressive performances of both Mr. Leto and Ms. Hathaway in taking on their characters and in making the drama come to life. Rotten Tomatoes, the review website, gives the series a 70% approval rating based on reviews from 20 critics. The website’s critics consensus reads: “The pacing can be frustrating, but WeCrashed still works thanks to its compelling central relationship and Anne Hathaway’s knockout performance.” The Oscar winning stars are joined by Kyle Marvin playing the part of the company’s other co-founder Miguel McKelvey, as well as actress America Ferrera, and actors O-T Fagbenle, Robert Emmet Lunney and Theo Stockman. The remaining episodes will come out each Friday, with the eighth and final episode set for release on April 22.
