Noteworthy NFT projects are being adapted into feature films, including World of Women and Aku. We found a few NFT projects that might soon be featured in a Movie.
There are several known cases, where the creators of large-scale NFT projects have signed contracts with representation to pursue potential film deals. We’ve seen film projects funded by NFTs, and there are at least a couple documentary films about the NFT craze in the works—but what about movies based on NFT collections? Would you pay to see a CryptoPunk feature film? The Meebit Movie?
A Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT was signed to a talent agency contract and given the new persona “Jenkins the Butler” with book and movie deals planned.
Making Movies out of popular NFT projects
Movies are in the works. This past year saw successful NFT projects ink deals to bring their characters and stories to the big screen during the wild NFT market boom, which generated $25 billion in trading volume.
Here’s a look at the major NFT projects that have been announced for film adaptations, as well as those that have signed representation to pursue potential film deals and more.
Aku
Artist Micah Johnson’s Aku, a Black boy who aspires to be an astronaut, was the first original NFT character optioned for film and television projects in April 2021, just two months after the first Aku NFT was released. Anonymous Content and Permanent Content optioned it, with the latter formed by musician Shawn Mendes and manager Andrew Gertler.
Aku’s star has risen dramatically since then, thanks to subsequent releases and the lavish Aku World experiential show held at Art Basel Miami last December. Johnson, a former Major League baseball player, told Decrypt last August that Aku NFT holders may be able to influence the IP’s direction as it expands into film and beyond.
“What could be more powerful than allowing fans to directly participate in the growth and expansion of that IP?” Johnson asked.
World of Women
Actress Reese Witherspoon has invested heavily in NFTs, and she now hopes to turn the leading women-led and women-centric project into an entertainment powerhouse. Last month, Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine production company announced plans to make films and television shows based on Yam Karkai’s World of Women NFT project.
World of Women signed veteran music industry executive Guy Oseary in January to represent it in such media and product deals. According to Witherspoon, World of Women NFT holders will have a say in the creation of projects based on the collection of profile pictures.
Huxley
The most recent addition to this list is Huxley. Last week, Ari Arad (“Iron Man”) and his Arad Productions studio announced plans to co-produce a film adaptation of artist Ben Mauro’s Ethereum NFT comic book project. Arad will collaborate with Web3 production studio Feature and Oscar-nominated VFX supervisor Jerome Chen on the project.
Before venturing into the world of NFTs, Mauro worked as a concept artist for films such as “The Hobbit,” as well as Call of Duty and Halo games. His projects have now generated millions of dollars in trading volume. This cinematic CG animated concept trailer demonstrates how Huxley’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi vibe would translate well to the big screen. However, whether the film will be live-action or animated has yet to be determined.
CryptoPunks? Maybe
United Talent Agency (UTA) announced in August 2021 that it had signed Larva Labs—creators of CryptoPunks, Meebits, and Auto Glyphs—to help take its IP into Hollywood. UTA will represent Larva in film, television, video games, and other areas.
Final thoughts
However, how that will manifest itself remains to be seen. Nothing more has been announced since then, and Larva Labs has been notoriously (or perhaps infamously) hands-off with its community since the NFT market exploded in early 2021. So CryptoPunks could appear in films, but when and how are unknown.
What is clear is that despite the recent dip in NFT sales they remain a popular and highly-sought investment.
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