Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and blockchain technology certainly seem to be Hollywood’s plat du jour at the moment. In February we observed Oscar-winning producer Shane Boris’ involvement with New Here, a feature-length documentary about the NFT CryptoArt scene.
Less than one month later, we learn that Pierre Morel, the director behind classic action movie Taken, the one with the very particular set of skills, is to direct a feature film based on NFT collection Reactor Motors. Reactor Motors creator and artist Mike Bundlie will also serve as a co-producer.
The storyline follows a geophysicist, Eva Mason, who accidentally stumbles upon a new mineral while studying geothermal energy in Iceland. Calling it Reykium, presumably after Iceland’s capital Reykjavik, Mason and her team use the mineral’s energetic reaction to metal to produce eco-friendly race cars. These soon catch the attention of an energy conglomerate, which wants the Reykium engine for itself.
Reactor Motors was announced in December 2022, on what would have been Stan Lee’s 100th birthday. Initially launched as a comic book, the NFT collection, featuring 8,888 procedurally generated videos of the unique clean energy race cars, quickly sold out on OpenSea.
On top of the upcoming movie, the brand has also expanded into the world of video games, with an NFT racing game (naturally), built in Unreal Engine and currently in Beta testing for anyone who owns a Reactor NFT. There are also plans for an augmented reality comic book series and a graphic novel.
According to Bundlie, Reactor Motors will be a high-end independent movie rather than a “$200 million behemoth”, and a cast reveal should happen later in the year.
Following the Oscars ceremony last weekend, we questioned whether a crypto film might feature at next year’s event. This might not be as far-fetched as one would think; there are at least two feature films in development inspired by entrepreneur, rapper, and half of Bitcoin Bonnie and Clyde, Heather ‘Razzlekhan’ Morgan, along with multiple series on streaming platforms including Hulu and Netflix.
The rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX has also attracted Hollywood interest, with studios fighting to be the first to tell the story. There are at least nine productions in the works, including one based on a recently released book by renowned author Michael Lewis.
This week we also observed Steven Spielberg confirm his involvement with a potential sequel to the proto-metaverse movie, Ready Player One, imaginatively titled Ready Player Two. The news came as Readyverse studios dropped a trailer for its upcoming battle royale game set in the Ready Player One metaverse.
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