The Altruists is a 2026 Netflix crime drama based on the real story of Sam Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison, the two people behind the FTX crypto collapse.
Julia Garner plays Caroline and Anthony Boyle plays Sam. James Ponsoldt directed the first episode. The story jumps between the Bahamas, Hong Kong and the U.S. The crew shot most of it in Vancouver, Canada, and the trailer also shows the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and Hong Kong. For more shows like this, check our crime section and series category.
The series follows Sam Bankman-Fried, co-founder of the crypto exchange FTX, and Caroline Ellison, who ran the trading firm Alameda Research.
It shows their relationship and how their big plans ended in one of the biggest scandals in crypto history. Some scenes are dramatized for TV.
The Altruists premieres on November 19, 2026, with eight episodes.
It streams on Netflix and comes from Higher Ground Productions, the company started by Barack and Michelle Obama, along with Scoop Productions, New York Magazine and Vox Media Studios, as listed on Wikipedia. You can find more titles in our Netflix section.
Table of Contents
When and Where Was The Altruists Filmed?
| Series Name | The Altruists |
|---|---|
| Genres | Crime, Drama |
| Filming Locations | Vancouver (Canada), Albany (Bahamas), Punta Cana and La Romana (Dominican Republic), Hong Kong (seen in trailer) |
| Filming Dates | July 1, 2025 to November 2025 (reported) |
| Cinematography by | Jim Frohna, Craig Wrobleski |
| Release Date | November 19, 2026 (Netflix) |
Hollywood North Buzz reported that filming would start on July 1, 2025, with a planned end on November 24. In November, the same site said the series had wrapped in Vancouver, with November 21, 2025 as the last day. Netflix has not shared official dates, so these are reports.
IMDb lists Dominican Republic (Punta Cana, La Romana) as a filming location, and the trailer shows the Bahamas and Hong Kong too, which you can read about below. We could not confirm the cinematographer yet.
📍The Stack, 1133 Melville Street, Vancouver
The Stack is a glass office tower in downtown Vancouver. Production reports place the crew here on July 3 and 4, 2025. The scenes filmed here have not been named. You can see the tower from the street, but the offices are private.
📍Laowai / Blind Tiger, Chinatown, Vancouver
Laowai, also called Blind Tiger, is a hidden speakeasy-style bar in Chinatown, reportedly at 251 East Georgia Street. A shoot was reported here on November 10, 2025. The scene has not been confirmed. It is a working venue, so check opening hours before you go.
📍Trees Coffee, Vancouver
Trees Coffee is a Vancouver coffee brand with several shops. Vancouver Is Awesome listed it as a filming location of the show. We could not open the full article, so the branch and the scene are unknown.
📍Other Places Around Vancouver
Photos of Anthony Boyle and Julia Garner in costume came out in early July 2025, but the streets were not named. No other spots are confirmed yet. If you want more Vancouver shoots, read our guides to A Dog’s Perfect Christmas and Carrie, or browse the Canada category.
📍Orchid Building, Albany, Bahamas
Many parts of the series were filmed at the Orchid Building, part of the Albany Marina Residences, in Albany, a luxury resort community in the Bahamas. You can spot both the outside and the inside of the building in the trailer. The outside shows a white building with curved balconies, blue lace-style patterns and a big blue sculpture at the entrance.
The inside shows a bright apartment with a round balcony and arched patterns looking out over the water. This was spotted from the trailer, and the dates of the Bahamas shoot are not confirmed. The Orchid Building is part of a private resort community, so please check the rules before visiting.
📍Punta Cana and La Romana, Dominican Republic
IMDb lists Dominican Republic (Punta Cana, La Romana) as a filming location. The trailer has a sunset beach shot with two people sitting on the sand under a leaning palm tree, and that scene appears to be from the Dominican Republic. We do not know the exact beach, and we could not find the dates of this shoot.
📍Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong
The trailer also shows Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. In the shot, a man on the phone stands on a boat deck with the city skyline behind him and a ferry on the water. We could not confirm whether the crew filmed in Hong Kong or used the view as a backdrop, so please treat it as seen in the trailer only.
The Altruists Behind the Scenes
To make your search for The Altruists filming even more interesting, here is a look from the first week of the shoot. On July 4, 2025, photo agency Backgrid shared an Instagram post of Julia Garner in full costume as Caroline Ellison, saying the show was “currently filming in Vancouver, Canada.” What’s on Netflix says she wore a prosthetic nose and thick glasses.
Two days earlier, on July 2, 2025, the same site published Backgrid’s set photos of Anthony Boyle as Sam Bankman-Fried.
We could not find on-set Instagram posts from the cast or crew, and we will add them when they appear.
Is There Any Trailer Available for The Altruists?
Yes. Netflix released the official trailer around October 8, 2026.
It is on Netflix’s official YouTube channel. The series premieres on November 19, 2026, and is available on Netflix only.
FAQs
Q1: Where was The Altruists filmed?
A1: Mostly in Vancouver, Canada, including The Stack, Laowai / Blind Tiger and Trees Coffee. Other scenes were shot in the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic.
Q2: Was The Altruists filmed in the Bahamas?
A2: Yes, the trailer shows the Orchid Building at the Albany Marina Residences in Albany, a resort community in the Bahamas.
Q3: When was The Altruists filmed?
A3: Filming reportedly started on July 1, 2025, and ended around November 21, 2025.
Q4: Who directed The Altruists?
A4: James Ponsoldt directed episode 1, Kyle Patrick Alvarez episodes 2 and 3, Mairzee Almas episodes 4 and 5, Graham Moore episode 6, and Silver Tree episodes 7 and 8.
Q5: Can I visit the filming locations?
A5: You can walk around downtown Vancouver and Chinatown. The Stack and Laowai are private, so check the rules first.
Q6: When and where can I watch The Altruists?
A6: All eight episodes arrive on Netflix on November 19, 2026.
The Altruists uses the offices, cafés and streets of Vancouver, plus the beaches and resorts of the Bahamas and Dominican Republic, for a story that played out across the world. We will update this guide when the cinematographer and more locations are confirmed. If you like a good drama, check back soon for more filming-location guides.
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