The Real-Life Tech Bros that Inspired HBO Max's 'Mountainhead'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
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The newest project from "Succession" creator Jesse Armstrong, "Mountainhead" follows the story of four tech billionaires as they are isolated on a weekend retreat in the mountains while multiple disasters due to AI deep fakes take place around the world, with each mogul considering how to use the chaos to their advantage.
The film stars Steve Carell as Randall Garrett, Jason Schwartzman as Hugo "Souper" Van Yalk, Cory Michael Smith as Venis "Ven" Parish, and Ramy Yousseff as Jeffrey "Jeff" Abredazi.
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After premiering on HBO Max on May 31, multiple questions have been brought up regarding whether the film is based on real events and who each billionaire is specifically based on.
So let's take a look at everyone and everything in 'Mountainhead.'
Cory Michael Smith, Steve Carell, Ramy Youssef, and Jason Schwartzman in HBO's 'Mountainhead.'
Cory Michael Smith, Steve Carell, Ramy Youssef, and Jason Schwartzman in HBO's 'Mountainhead.'
Fred Hayes/HBO
Is 'Mountainhead' Based on a True Story?
While the events in "Mountainhead" seem unfortunately plausible in a modern world, nothing that happens is actually based on real events; instead, it operates as a look at the rising fears surrounding artificial intelligence.
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Particularly, Armstrong notes that "Mountainhead" looks at possible events AI leaders have warned about.
"If somebody who knows the technology better than anyone in the world thinks there's a 1/5th chance that it's going to wipe out humanity—and they're some of the optimists—I think that's legitimately quite unnerving," Armstrong said, per Andrew R. Chow of Time.
Who is 'Mountainhead' Based On?
While the plot of "Mountainhead" is not based on a true story, its characters do take inspiration from real people. Specifically, Armstrong refers to the four leads as "Frankenstein monsters with limbs sewn together," breaking them down into four archetypes: The Father, The Dynamo, The Usurper, and The Hanger On.
Carell's Randall Garrett is The Father, the eldest member of the group and an investor in the others' projects. He is based on Marc Andreessen and Peter Thiel, the latter of whom founded PayPal and was an early investor in Facebook.
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Speaking of Facebook, Smith's Venis "Ven" Parish is based on the likes of Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. Known as The Dynamo, he is the richest of the group, founder of the social media company Traam, and created the AI programs that led to the aforementioned disasters
While Youseff's Jeffrey "Jeff" Abredazi and Schwartzman's Hugo "Souper" Van Yalk don't necessarily have direct real world interpretations, their archetypes can easily be seen in the world of tech.
Abredazi is The Usurper, looking to constantly improve his status and rise in the ranks of the tech industry no matter what. Van Yalk is The Hanger On, the poorest of the group and operating as an outsider, he is constantly trying to win the approval of the other three.
Where was 'Mountainhead' Filmed?
The entirety of "Mountainhead" takes place at Hugo's mansion in the mountains, and it turns out that this is a real spot.
Located in Park City, Utah, the mansion is actually a ski home in Deer Valley Resort designed by Upwall Design Architects.
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