Warner Bros. launches “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” into a Web3 experience, complete with “Fellowship of the Ring” NFTs.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment collaborates with blockchain company Eluvio to launch “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” (Extended Version) Web3 Movie Experience. Through this partnership, fans of Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” can purchase limited-edition “Fellowship of the Ring” NFTs.
The extended version will be available in two editions, dropping on Friday, October 21, at web3.wb.com. Incidentally, this is the first time a major studio will release a movie as NFTs.
The Fellowship of the Ring NFTs will feature a 4K UHD, 3-hour-and-48-minute extended version of the 2001 film. Additionally, there are over eight hours of bonus footage and commentary, image galleries, and hidden augmented reality (AR) collectibles.
“This initiative has important implications as a potential new way to handle movie distribution directly to fans; engage those fans through communities and tradable marketplaces; and demonstrate the practical utility of Web3 and NFTs,” Jessica Schell, executive vice president and general manager of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, said.
“Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is setting a new bar for innovation in the distribution of home movies by demonstrating the potential of web3 for consumer engagement, digital supply chain transformation, and new business opportunities,” said Michelle Munson, CEO and co-founder of Eluvio, in a statement.
The Fellowship of the Ring NFTs
As mentioned earlier, the extended version of the movie will be available in two Fellowship of the Ring NFT editions—the Mystery Edition and the Epic Edition. Warner Bros. and Eluvio will mint 10,000 copies of the Mystery Edition, which comes with one of three location-based navigation menus modeled after a location in the movie, for $30 each.
On the other hand, 999 copies of the Epic Edition will be available, priced at $100 each. These include three location menus—the Shire, Rivendell, and Mines of Moria—and exclusive bonus image galleries.
According to Schell, the NFTs will be the first to be made available in the WB Movieverse, a new marketplace where users can buy, sell, and trade movie NFTs. The platform will include other movie titles from the studio in the future.
“First and foremost, we’re always looking at ways to delight and surprise our movie fans and collectors, and that’s especially true for ‘The Lord of the Rings,’” Schell said. “It lets fans experience the movie in a whole new way.”
Eluvio will roll out Fellowship of the Ring NFTs via its Ethereum-compatible blockchain. Then, on Friday, October 21, at 9 AM PDT/12 PM EDT, fans of the movie can create an Eluvio media wallet by heading to web3.wb.com/warnermedia/movieverse.
Users can purchase Fellowship of the Ring NFTs with their credit cards, debit cards, or cryptocurrency. Once purchased, they can launch the Web3 movie experience and stream the extended movie via the media wallet.
As regards the number of NFTs that can be minted for the October 21 drop, Schell explained, “It’s that balance between wanting it to be available to fans and also wanting to have some level of scarcity and exclusivity.”
An “Evergreen” Movie
Schell refers to “The Fellowship of the Ring,” which premiered in 2001, an “evergreen” film with the most passionate fanbase. The NFT drop of the movie’s extended version coincides with Amazon Prime Video’s release of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” series, so fans of the movie can say Middle-earth is trending big time.
Previous Warner Bros Home Entertainment releases have made “The Fellowship of the Ring’s” extended edition available, with eight hours of bonus video content. With the Fellowship of the Ring NFTs, all of that is packaged in one unique experience, together with AR collectible items, like a magic wand, hidden throughout the different locations.
So, purchasing the Fellowship of the Ring NFTs will not only give fans a copy of the movie. It will also offer them a “living movie experience.” Munson says holders “can personalize content for each NFT—to make it more of a gamified experience over time.”
“It’s truly designed for a mass consumer audience, not just Web3 enthusiasts, which is why it should—and does—feel so remarkable and engaging,” said Munson.
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