The new, Fremantle-owned documentary label, Undeniable, Big Pond Films and Concordia Studio have partnered for the original feature documentary "Whatever It Takes" which reveals the true story of Ina and David Steiner, two journalists targeted in a Silicon Valley-based scandal. “Audiences are fascinated by powerful stories about the dark side of Big Tech, especially when they intersect with the ordinary folk using it," Mandy Chang, Founder and Creative Director, Undeniable said. "I’m delighted to be working with the highly talented and deeply experienced team at Big Pond Films on this totally crazy but true story. I’m equally excited to be partnering with Concordia Studio, whose track record for making powerful documentaries speaks for itself."
The title has been chosen as one of the select films to have its World Premiere at SXSW 2024 in March, as part of the Documentary Spotlight section. Whatever It takes is directed by documentary filmmaker Jenny Carchman, produced by Allyson Luchak for Big Pond Films and producer Ben Travers. Executive producers are Mandy Chang for Fremantle label - Undeniable, Jonathan Silberberg, Nicole Stott, and Concordia Studio’s Lizzie Fox and Casey Meurer. Cinetic Media is handling worldwide sales.
In the summer of 2019, a middle-aged couple are subjected to cyberstalking threats and bizarre deliveries including a bloody pig mask and funeral wreath. As the harassment intensifies, the police and FBI close in on a Silicon Valley giant and some very unlikely suspects. "Whatever It Takes" tells the story of eBay, a Fortune 500 company founded on the principle that "people are basically good”, and how members of their security team ended up in federal prison after trying to protect the CEO from a corporate raider. This is a timely true crime caper about dysfunction, the disintegration of ethics, and a couple of unsuspecting journalists whose lives are changed forever.
The story is told through exclusive access to the Steiners and larger-than-life contributors, including former eBay employees, early collectors, small-town detectives and members of the private security industry. Whatever It Takes is a tale of extreme wrongdoing to protect ‘the brand’, whatever it takes, and everyday people caught in the crosshairs of one of the most well-known companies in Big Tech history. “This film is a jaw-dropping story about one of the most revolutionary companies in Silicon Valley. One of our goals was to understand how did these events happen in the first place and what is a corporation’s moral responsibility when things go wrong,” Director Jenny Carchman said.