Anthony Hopkins’ sci-fi thriller Zero Contact gets NFT debut on Vuele with 11 blockchain-based tokens
- The initial NFTs auctioned on September 24 will give 11 buyers access to the film before another 2,500 NFTs are offered in October
- Vuele hopes to become a model for the future of film distribution, but digital film releases have become a contentious issue during the Covid-19 pandemic
A science-fiction thriller starring Anthony Hopkins, the award-winning British actor, will become the first feature film to be distributed using non-fungible tokens (NFTs), taking a new route to skipping an initial theatrical release by controlling access using the blockchain-based technology.
The first 11 digital copies of Zero Contact, which was shot and produced in 17 countries virtually during the Covid-19 pandemic, will be auctioned on September 24 through OpenSea, the world’s largest NFT marketplace.
The film will be accessible on the NFT film distribution platform Vuele, which was established in June by the film’s producer Enderby Entertainment and blockchain developer CurrencyWorks. Since NFTs are unique and offer proof of ownership, buyers will be able to not only watch the film on Vuele, but also trade or sell their copy through the platform.
Another 2,500 NFTs for the film will be offered in October. While the film will eventually appear in cinemas and on other streaming platforms, NFT buyers will get access to cast interviews and outtakes that will not be available elsewhere.
“We expect to achieve deep fan engagement from fans of this genre of movie or the cast and crew of the movie. We also expect to broaden the [scope of] NFT purchasers to [include] movie collectors,” Vuele co-founder Cameron Chell told the South China Morning Post on Monday. “Bringing the whole NFT trading and collecting market into the movie space will hopefully expand both markets.”
The first winner of next week’s NFT auction will also get an additional bonus: the chance to be part of the film for its theatrical release, Chell said. He did not elaborate on how or where the person would be added.
Zero Contact does not yet have a release date in China, where the government strictly controls the release of imported films. Still, Chell said he is “really excited about the potential” to launch the film in the country, both in cinemas and using NFTs. If the film’s NFT debut does well, the studio will look at adding additional subtitles for a broader release, he said.