---
title: 'Okay, it just got weird: Jason Bateman to direct, star as Portland''s Mike Merrill, the publicly traded man'
date: '2014-10-28T20:40:54-07:00'
type: post
word_count: 361
char_count: 2372
tokens: 470
categories:
  - '#featured'
  - Oregon
  - Portland
  - Startups
tags:
  - 'jason bateman'
  - kmikeym
  - 'mike merrill'
  - movie
  - portlands
---

# Okay, it just got weird: Jason Bateman to direct, star as Portland's Mike Merrill, the publicly traded man

We like our weird in Portland. It’s true. We’re so weird, in fact, that we stole our “Keep Portland Weird” slogan from Austin, Texas. That’s how weird we are. So when a [guy decides to sell shares in himself and allow shareholders to decide his fate](http://siliconflorist.com/2013/12/19/publicly-traded-mike-merrill-asks-shareholders-guide-jackson-garietys-promising-future/ "There is another: Publicly traded Mike Merrill asks shareholders to guide Jackson Gariety’s promising future"), we’re like “Yeah. That happened.” But when [Jason Bateman enters the picture](http://deadline.com/2014/10/jason-bateman-is-ipo-man-hell-direct-star-as-man-who-sold-stock-in-self-864281/ "Jason Bateman Is ‘IPO Man;’ He’ll Direct, Star As Man Who Sold Stock In Self"), we have to take pause. Because, yeah. Shit just got weird.

> Fox Searchlight has acquired Meet The Man Who Sold His Fate To Investors At $1 A Share, [a Wired Magazine article by Joshua Davis](http://www.wired.com/2013/03/ipo-man/all/ "IPO Man") that will be crafted into a starring and directing vehicle for Jason Bateman to play a man who found a novel commodity for a public offering: himself. It created a host of problems for the actual guy, Mike Merrill, when shareholders demanded control over life decisions like whether or not to have a vasectomy, or even whether he should move in with his longtime girlfriend (and minority shareholder).

Jason Bateman! I mean, [he used to be on Silver Spoons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J33wSdizCbc "Jason Bateman as Derek taylor on silver spoons"). Hell, he was like the Alfonso Ribeiro to Ricky Schroeder’s Fresh Prince.

What’s that? Arrested Development…? Never heard of it. Silver Spoons, baby!

Anyway, yeah [KmikeyM](http://kmikeym.com/ "kmikeym") isn’t just a Portland property anymore. Hollywood has a little piece of him, as well.

For more information, see [Jason Bateman Is ‘IPO Man;’ He’ll Direct, Star As Man Who Sold Stock In Self](http://deadline.com/2014/10/jason-bateman-is-ipo-man-hell-direct-star-as-man-who-sold-stock-in-self-864281/ "Jason Bateman Is ‘IPO Man;’ He’ll Direct, Star As Man Who Sold Stock In Self").

*([Image courtesy Sam Javanrouh](https://www.flickr.com/photos/wvs/1358081609/sizes/o/). Used under Creative Commons.)*