If you’ve spent any time on YouTube lately, you’ve probably seen it. A high-octane trailer for Wolf of Wall Street 2 featuring a silver-haired Leonardo DiCaprio, quick cuts of crypto tickers, and a booming voiceover about "the new frontier."
It looks real. It feels real. It’s totally fake.
Let's be honest, people have been hungry for a follow-up since Martin Scorsese’s 2013 masterpiece ended with Jordan Belfort staring at a room full of aspiring salesmen in New Zealand. But despite the slick "concept trailers" flooding social media in 2026, there is no movie sequel in production. No secret filming in Manhattan. No surprise Netflix drop.
So, what’s the deal with the story? If you want the real "part two," you have to stop looking at movie posters and start looking at bookshelves.
The Book vs. The Movie: Where the Story Actually Went
Most people don't realize that Jordan Belfort actually wrote a direct sequel years ago. It’s called Catching the Wolf of Wall Street.
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While the first book (and the movie) was all about the "pump and dump" schemes at Stratton Oakmont, the second book picks up exactly where the film leaves off—the crash. It covers the FBI investigation, the internal betrayals, and the surreal experience of going from a $175 million estate to a prison bunk.
Why Scorsese never bit
Hollywood loves money, but Scorsese generally avoids sequels. He’s never done one. For him, the ending of the 2013 film was the point. It wasn't a "to be continued" cliffhanger; it was a mirror held up to the audience. When Leo asks the crowd to "sell me this pen" and the camera lingers on their desperate, hungry faces, Scorsese is saying that the culture is the sequel. The greed didn't go away; it just moved to the next guy in the front row.
What a Real Wolf of Wall Street 2 Would Even Look Like
If a studio actually pulled the trigger on a sequel today, the landscape wouldn't be penny stocks. It would be decentralized.
Jordan Belfort himself has pivoted hard into the world of cryptocurrency and "The Wolf of Investing," which is the title of his most recent major book (released in late 2023). In it, he ironically argues against the kind of gambling he used to promote. He now pushes index funds and long-term S&P 500 plays.
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Kinda boring for a movie, right?
A screenplay for Wolf of Wall Street 2 would have to bridge that gap. Imagine Belfort navigating the 2021 meme stock craze or the collapse of FTX. There’s a rich narrative there—an "old wolf" trying to understand a world where 19-year-olds make millions on dog-themed coins from their bedrooms.
- The Crypto Pivot: Belfort has gone on record saying he was originally a crypto skeptic but changed his mind. That’s a classic second-act character arc.
- The Restitution Battle: The real-life legal drama over his unpaid millions to victims is still a thing. It’s gritty, messy, and lacks the glamor of the first film, which is probably why it hasn't been greenlit.
- The Redemption Angle: Belfort tries to position himself as a mentor now. Whether you believe he’s sincere or just running a new version of the old game is the kind of ambiguity that makes for great cinema.
The "Concept" Problem: Why We Keep Getting Fooled
We are living in the era of the AI-generated hoax. Those trailers you see for a 2025 or 2026 release of a sequel are built using "Deepfake" tech and voice cloning. They use footage from The Great Gatsby or The Revenant to make Leo look older.
They get millions of views because the original film is a top-five "rewatchable" for an entire generation. But as of right now, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill have moved on. DiCaprio, specifically, has never reprised a role in his entire career.
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The Actual Next Chapter for Fans
If you’re looking for more "Wolf" content that isn't a fake trailer, you actually have three real options that aren't the first movie.
- Read "Catching the Wolf of Wall Street": It’s the closest thing to a script for a sequel. It deals with the FBI's Gregory Coleman (played by Kyle Chandler in the movie) and the actual process of the empire's collapse.
- Check out "The Wolf of Investing": This is Belfort’s 2023 guide. It’s less about Quaaludes and more about the "Wall Street Fee Machine." It’s an eye-opener if you want to see how the "Wolf" views the modern market.
- The Documentary Route: There are several deep-dive documentaries on the Stratton Oakmont era that feature the real players—many of whom have much darker, less "funny" stories than the movie depicted.
What You Should Do Instead of Waiting for a Sequel
Stop checking IMDb for a release date that isn't coming. Instead, look at the actual trajectory of the financial world since the movie came out.
The "Wolf" legacy is everywhere now—from WallStreetBets to the rise of social media financial influencers (finfluencers). If you want to understand the modern version of the Stratton Oakmont hustle, start by researching the SEC’s recent crackdowns on "finfluencer" pump-and-dumps. It’s the same script, just played out on TikTok instead of over a landline.
Follow the money in the real world. That’s where the real sequel is happening every single day.
Next Steps for the Savvy Reader:
- Audit your sources: If a "Wolf of Wall Street 2" trailer doesn't come from a verified studio account like Paramount or A24, it’s fake.
- Verify the "Redemption": Read the 2023 InvestmentNews interview with Belfort to see his current stance on market regulation.
- Compare the memoirs: If you've only seen the movie, grab the first book. The differences in what was left out (especially the darker stuff) will change how you see the "hero" of the story.