Anthony Hopkins sent chills down our spine after we popped our Silence of the Lambs VHS tapes into our VCRs. Nearly three decades later, Hopkins will continue to haunt us through a new, industry-altering technology: NFTs (non-fungible tokens).
Hopkins is starring in a new thriller called "Zero Contact." It will debut exclusively to consumers as a non-fungible token on Vuelve, the world’s first direct-to-consumer, viewing and distribution platform for full-length, NFT-based films.
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NFT-based movie Zero Contact may disrupt the film industry
Non-fungible tokens are an artist's dream, especially in this day and age of the internet where copyright infringement runs rampant. NFTs use blockchain technology, which underpins the cryptocurrency realm to facilitate secure transactions, to package digital artifacts (e.g. music, GIFs, artwork, etc.) with valuable data about ownership.
For example, if you purchased a non-fungible token from Eminem, it would be attached with a digital record that authenticates the source of the NFT. If you wanted to sell the NFT, you'd have proof that it is, indeed, a real Slim Shady digital token, thanks to blockchain technology. Both parties are happy; Eminem can sell his NFT-based albums to offset piracy-related losses and fans are elated to own authentic digital collectibles from their favorite artist.
Similarly, the NFT world is a breath of fresh air for filmmakers who are eager to find a new outlet for disseminating their visual masterpieces in a way that benefits both the film industry and consumers. This is where Vuelve comes in, allowing users to become owners of exclusive, limited-edition NFT-based film content. On the platform, Vuelve members can watch, collect, sell and trade their NFTs — including Hopkins' Zero Contact film.
"For Vuele's very first movie to be featuring such a high-profile star is a major endorsement for what we see as the next frontier for Hollywood and how it will premiere feature-length films and merchandise collectibles surrounding the films produced," Cameron Chell, co-head of VUELE, said. "Vuele is perfectly poised to transform the direct-to-consumer entertainment distribution channel.”
What is Zero Contact about?
Zero Contact follows five characters who live all over the globe, but the quintet is connected by their devotion and allegiance to tech titan Finley Hart (Anthony Hopkins). Hart has a secret tech invention that could be lethal; it could be a boon for the human race or end mankind as we know it. As such, the five devotees are determined to shut down the machine before it's too late.
Hopkins stars alongside Aleks Paunovic, Veronica Ferres and Chris Brochu. The film was shot during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We had to innovate at every step of the way, shooting in 17 countries around the world during a global pandemic. It only makes sense for a film like this to continue its ground-breaking trajectory by revolutionizing the way Hollywood films are premiered, viewed, and shared utilizing blockchain technology," said Vuele co-head Rick Dugdale.
How to get the Zero Contact NFT
In an e-mail, Chell told us that the NFT-based Zero Contact film will run on the CurrencyWorks blockchain, which has cross-chain capabilities with Ethereum.
Delving more into the news that the Zero Contact release may also come with behind-the-scenes footage and other bonus features, Chell added, "The first NFT that comes out will be 'one-of-one.' There will be no other director's cut that will be like this, no other set of interviews that will be like this. It will be the most unique piece of history for that movie, and a piece of history for Anthony Hopkins."
Some of the NFT content will be auctioned and others will be set at a fixed price. "The market will determine how much the Zero Contact NFT sells for," Chell told us. "NFTs create digital scarcity and the value of that is in the eye of the collector."
So how can you own a slice of this historical moment in the film? Click here to submit your e-mail to get an invitation to bid on Zero Contact NFTs when they launch in the near future.
