Blair Witch Producer, Kevin Foxe, Brings Mandala to Web3 as a Game to Challenge Hollywood’s Corporate Control.
Kevin Foxe, the veteran Hollywood producer behind the cult horror classic, “The Blair Witch Project,” is using crypto and gamification to challenge the control of large corporations over the traditional media industry. In an exclusive interview with Decrypt, Foxe shared his thoughts on the Hollywood studio system, his philosophy on crypto and media, and his plans to expand the world of the 2014 Dark Horse Comics graphic novel “Mandala” into a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG).
The “Mandala” source material is tonally grim, merging elements of the occult and spiritual mysticism with an apocalyptic, biting critique of corporate power and surveillance states. It follows protagonist Mike Morningstar as he fights against the GRID, a “global mind-control system,” with a group of superhero-like mythological characters known as The Thirteen.
Here are three key highlights from the interview:
- Foxe’s Vision for the “Mandala” Project
Foxe wants to form a “rebel alliance” against large corporations that control the media industry and is using Web3 to do it. He envisions “Mandala” becoming more than just a game, but a “multimedia platform” that explores multiple universes and simultaneous timelines. Foxe believes that “Mandala” has the potential to become an “enlightenment simulator” that helps participants recognize potential elements of truth in the material’s broader themes.
- “Mandala” as a TV Series and a Video Game
Foxe’s team is currently developing “Mandala” into a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), but the project is not limited to just one platform. Foxe plans to tell the story across multiple platforms, including a television series and other community-driven experiences that “gamify” the “Mandala” experience.
- Blockchain and Intellectual Property Rights
The Blair Witch Producer’s decision to develop “Mandala” in Web3 is not just about gamification. It’s also about retaining intellectual property rights. He shared his experience of working on projects at big studios who now own his IP, and he believes that it’s time for that to change. Blockchain technology offers an opportunity to own your IP continually and reward the audience in ways that the studio cannot.
Foxe’s plans for “Mandala” include creating an MMORPG that will be built in “tranches.” His team is currently looking for a Web3-savvy “game partner” to help build out the title. The team has already experimented with NFTs across multiple chains and plans to release future NFTs on the Polygon-powered Immutable zkEVM network. Foxe believes that cross-chain interoperability is essential for the audience to come together from wherever they are to fight back against the GRID that’s trapping us all.
