Director Kevin Smith Launching New Film as NFTs

Only select NFT-holding fans will get to enjoy filmmaker Kevin Smith’s return to horror, “KillRoy Was Here.”

Smith’s multimedia company, SmodCo, is working with the blockchain Secret Network to exclusively release the horror-comedy. A select 5,555 buyers will be able to purchase the NFT art collection containing the feature-length film, as well as behind-the-scenes footage and a commentary track. Launching in the second quarter on the Legendao platform, only those with the NFT’s “crypto key” can access the film.

Smith’s take on the anthology horror genre follows traumatized children who direct a monster to attack evil adults. Drawing inspiration from the 1940s graffiti phenomenon, the film stars Smith’s daughter, Harley Quinn Smith, alongside Azita Ghanizada and Ryan O’Nan. The sequel, which Smith plans to film next year, will also incorporate content created by the NFT owners, such as short films and cartoons.

Multiple crypto and entertainment businesses partnered to bring the NFT to life. Secret Network’s NFT minting platform, Legendao, will host the project. Curio—an entertainment NFT platform that has previously released NFTs related to cult classics like “American Psycho”—and digital content production company Semkhor collaborated on the collection. SCRT Labs, which oversees Secret Network, notably sold the first Quentin Tarantino NFT for $1.1 million earlier this year.

“KillRoy” became one of the first film NFT projects when it was initially announced in 2021. Smith released a teaser NFT for the “KillRoy” project, featuring a 3D comic book and film footage, through Jay and Silent Bob’s Crypto Studio, Smith’s curated crypto gallery. His upcoming film, “Clerks III,” will also offer “crypto cameos” in the film to NFT holders.

Crypto has only grown its reach in Hollywood since then. Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins starred in “Zero Contact,” which was released as an NFT through Vuele, in 2021. Earlier this month, reality TV studio Bunim/Murray Productions, best known for producing “Keeping Up With The Kardashians,” announced plans to sell NFTs featuring unedited episode clips while still traditionally distributing shows.