LOS ANGELES & AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Next-generation content studio Magic Machine and award-winning animation production company Titmouse have secured prolific action writer and creator Derek Kolstad to create and develop an eight-episode series, Forgotten Runes Wizard’s Cult, based on the highly successful NFT fantasy property. Kolstad is the creator of the John Wick film franchise, penned the recent Bob Odenkirk breakout film, Nobody, and was a writer on Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Derek is also behind the anime adaptation of Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell for Netflix and is writing the upcoming Streets of Rage film based on the classic SEGA video game.
To view the premier of the Forgotten Runes Wizard’s Cult show trailer, click here.
The series is fully financed by Magic Machine, who established the beginnings of a successful franchise in Forgotten Runes, a universe originally composed of 10,000 Wizard NFTs but has since expanded through a variety of new character collections. Character backstories are created by each individual NFT owner, while the larger mainline narrative is developed by Magic Machine. Forgotten Runes Wizard’s Cult will be the first hour long narrative television series adapted from NFT IP.
Titmouse’s Chris Prynoski and Magic Machine’s @ElfJTrul, @Dotta and @BearSnake will serve as executive producers alongside Kolstad. Magic Machine’s non-traditional business model, which revolves around granting commercial rights to all of their NFT owners, allows the community to participate in a portion of the proceeds that are generated by the upcoming television series.
“Derek is the perfect writer to shepherd the Forgotten Runes Wizard’s Cult TV series,” said @ElfJTrul and @Dotta, co-creators behind Forgotten Runes. “He is no stranger to world-building and after our initial talks it was clear he truly understands the universe we are building. With Derek’s writing and the production talent at Titmouse, we are confident this first season of the show will translate to a massive global audience.”
Said Derek Kolstad, “I know a member of the Magic Machine team, as years ago we were developing an innovative sci-fi piece for VR. When we reconnected and he floated his newest endeavor, Forgotten Runes, I immediately said ‘I’m in!’ It’s amazing!”
Beyond the television series, Forgotten Runes Wizard’s Cult is in development on a 10 issue comic book series due out in July, an on-chain MMORPG launching this summer with Bisonic and investors including Ryan Zurrer and Alexis Ohanian as well as an entire merchandise program set to roll in late 2022. It also received attention as one of the first four partners announced for Coinbase’s launch of its upcoming NFT marketplace platform.
In the short time since its inception, the Forgotten Runes community has become one of the most committed and creative in the NFT space with art, stories, animation, music, and a variety of creative content generated by the community daily. The founders themselves bring a powerful combination of storytelling, art, and code perfectly suited to catapult this project to a top tier media franchise.
Derek Kolstad is represented by APA, Circle of Confusion, and the law firm of Behr Abramson Levy Johnson.
Titmouse is represented by CAA.
About Forgotten Runes Wizard’s Cult
FRWC is a decentralized approach to building a media franchise. The entire world and all the characters in it are community owned. The first character collection was composed of 10,000 unique Wizard NFTs. The token holders in the community not only own the Wizard’s image, but also the rights to develop that character’s lore and biography. The creative output from this ever-growing community is then put into larger media expressions like TV, film, comics, and more. Learn more about The Cult here: forgottenrunes.com/wtf.
About Magic Machine
Magic Machine is a next-generation studio combining the power of blockchain technologies with storytelling. They are disrupting traditional media structures by creating decentralized ownership of IP and characters. The team’s expertise includes a rich understanding of blockchain technology, storytelling, IP expansion, media and entertainment, and online community building.
About Titmouse
Titmouse is an independent Emmy award-winning animation production company. Our artist-run studios in Los Angeles, New York City, and Vancouver keep the most talented people in the industry pushing creative boundaries. Writers, producers, directors, storyboard artists, animators, compositors, editors, and artists of all kinds are right here, in house. Titmouse founders Chris and Shannon Prynoski launched Titmouse in Los Angeles, the birthplace of the American entertainment industry. Known for series such as The Venture Bros., Big Mouth, Midnight Gospel, Star Trek: Lower Decks, The Legend of Vox Machina, Tigtone, and Metalocalypse, Titmouse creates high-quality cartoons for all ages and interests. Visit us online at titmouse.net.
Image of Derek Kolstad can be found here. Photo credit: Shannon Cottrell
