SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Comic-Con 2023 – Interactive story studio Toonstar today announced the upcoming release of its fourth original interactive series in Web3, “FORTUN3,” starring T.J. Miller (“Silicon Valley”). Miller is set to portray a character inspired by Sam Bankman-Fried in this dysfunctional social comedy loosely based on the implosion of FTX. Jon Heder (“Napoleon Dynamite”), partner at Verified Labs, also joins the cast with Amber Rose as a recurring guest star. In an industry first, Toonstar will also release an A.I.-powered companion game in which players develop their characters through a series of life decisions and moral dilemmas in a Sims meets “The Game of Life” format.
Founded by John Attanasio and Luisa Huang, veterans of DreamWorks, Disney, and Warner Bros., Toonstar has incorporated community-driven storytelling elements in each of its Web3 series to date, including “The Gimmicks,” “House of Chico,” and “Space Junk.” In “FORTUN3,” they take this collaborative storytelling model to a new level.
With each episode, the advancing storyline will influence corresponding chapters of the companion game. A.I. will power the development of original characters and shareable digital comic books based on token holders’ gameplay. Players will also have the opportunity for their characters to be picked up for a role in the animated series.
“Today’s entertainment consumers expect more than one-sided, passive entertainment. They want to participate in the storytelling and engage with other fans in a way that begins to resemble gaming models,” said John Attanasio, co-founder and CEO of Toonstar. “In addition to greater fan engagement, our interactive form of storytelling can serve as a model for Hollywood to uncover new entertainment franchises and unlock new revenue streams.”
Toonstar founders, along with Miller and Heder, will discuss the evolution and growing importance of audience participation in content development during their Comic-Con panel, “Audience is King,” on Friday, July 21st, at 1:45pm PT in Ballroom 20.
“Toonstar gave me the opportunity to join such an original project and a timely story playing a version of the greatest crypto villain of all time… Yes!” said T. J. Miller. “FORTUN3 is a groundbreaking way for fans to participate, enjoy, and actually be in the show. I can’t wait to see it blow people’s actual minds.”
FORTUN3, the animated series and companion game of the same name, will be released in Q4 of this year.
About Toonstar
Toonstar is an interactive story studio that’s building entertainment franchises through community-driven storytelling and dynamic gameplay. The company features a nimble team of creators, builders, and technologists hailing from Disney, Warner Bros., and DreamWorks with cutting-edge production, blockchain, and A.I. technologies. Toonstar’s direct-to-community building expertise has cultivated some of the largest and most engaged communities across the Web. The company’s animated, Web3-enhanced series, including “The Gimmicks, “House of Chico,” and “Space Junk,” are paving the way for the future of storytelling in Hollywood. Founded in 2015, Toonstar is backed by top media tech investors, including Founders Fund, Greycroft, Snap, Baron Davis, and GFR.
About Verified Labs
Verified Labs is an award-winning Web3 agency connecting talent to the future of entertainment and the internet. Their clients include the estates of Ernest Hemingway, Steve McQueen, and 2Pac Shakur, as well as Napoleon Dynamite, Dog the Bounty Hunter, and Triumph Motorcycles. They also develop and produce film, TV, and animated series for both traditional and non-traditional distribution.
