Lionsgate And The Sandbox Team On Film-Themed Metaverse Destination; ‘Hellboy’ Is First Franchise To Book A Trip

deadline.com:

EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate and The Sandbox have formed a partnership to create a film and TV destination in the metaverse, describing it as “part virtual real estate, part amusement park.”The Sandbox, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, put out popular mobile games hits in the 2010s before shifting its focus to bringing IP and a community of mobile creators to the blockchain.

The company’s goal was to disrupt game makers like Minecraft and Roblox by letting creators own their work as non-fungible tokens, or NFTs.Undaunted by the recent plunge in cryptocurrency prices and NFT valuations in recent weeks, the companies said their partnership will kick off with Hellboy, a Lionsgate-Millennium Media franchise to be housed in a place called “Action City.” Other tenants in this corner of the metaverse will include the 2008 reboot of Rambo, 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood, and the first three Expendables films.

Lionsgate and The Sandbox have plans to focus next on horror, a genre that has been fertile ground for Lionsgate at the box office over the years, with major franchises including Saw.“We can’t wait to open our Lionsgate land in The Sandbox metaverse so fans around the globe can create, play, and explore our film IP in ways that go beyond what’s possible in the physical world,” said Jenefer Brown, EVP and head of global live, interactive and location based entertainment at Lionsgate. “We’re excited by the new possibilities our strategic relationship with The Sandbox will offer our community.”Sebastien Borget, COO and Co-Founder of The Sandbox, said the company’s original vision was to let players create original adventures with licensed content. “Adding to this mix a partner with the unparalleled global entertainment impact of Lionsgate –