Mountainhead: From Pitch to Premiere in 6 Months

Late November, fresh off the election, the last thing writer Jesse Armstrong wanted was another story about outrageously rich tycoons. His razor sharp, culture-redefining series "Succession" had recently aired its stellar finale on HBO. After reading review on a book about cyber swindler Sam Bankman-Fried, Armstrong was again ensnared in the strange world of tech billionaire bros, despite his reluctance to revisit the realm of extreme wealth.

Capturing the nuance of these tech moguls was a process of immersion for Armstrong. Listening to podcasties and absorbing the tone, he was electrified. The words and voices were so intriguing they echoed incessantly in his mind.

Armstrong harnessed that echo and crafted "Mountainhead," a tale of four billionaire chums on a staff-free bro-down poker weekend. Chaos and disinformation are flowing like champagne, thanks to one of the quartet’s companies launching a new AI. Pitching the concept to HBO's Casey Bloys, he imagined it as a TV movie. Fast forward to January and Steve Carell had joined the venture. Casting continued with Jason Schwartzman, Ramy Youssef, and Cory Michael Smith. By March, they were filming in Utah. May 31 marked the premiere. It took just over six months from conception to completion.

For Armstrong, embodying the lifestyles of the nation's richest and most powerful men also necessitated capturing the impact they're currently having on society. He hoped people experiencing the film in years to come would still enjoy it, but there was a particular urgency to creating and sharing this piece in the current cultural climate.

Armstrong is no stranger to capturing the absurd spirit of the times, having written for political satires "The Thick of It," and "Veep," and delving into the lives of media moguls for "Succession." Now, his vision richly portrayed in "Mountainhead," he has offered a fresh take on how Silicon Valley's tech titans are reshaping our world.

The swift development and production of "Mountainhead" may seem hasty and if Trump had lost, it might not have felt as critical. Still, Armstrong believes he would’ve done it anyway as the march of AI and the impact of social media were inescapable. The script was still incomplete when Carell joined, and the location yet to be secured. Carell’s generosity and trust were a huge boost, propelling the project forward.

For the team, working closely under the looming pressure of a tight schedule crafted a unique creative energy, turning the stress to their advantage. Harrowing deadlines and no time for second guesses nurtured an atmosphere of commitment and churned out a project that reflected the best of their instinctual abilities. Armstrong now only wants to work under such exhilarating conditions - it may feel like signing up for a "suicide mission," but he wouldn’t have it any other way.