EXCLUSIVE: Brightburn producer The H Collective is launching H3 Entertainment, a company it says will look to integrate the Metaverse, Web3 and AI into a slate of films.
According to its founders, and at a time of industry sensitivity around the use of AI, the model will “respect professionals and fans while promoting responsible technology integration”.
The H-Collective’s projects to date have included 2019 horror movie Brightburn, starring Elizabeth Banks, which it produced with James Gunn and which was picked up by Screen Gems, and The Parts You Lose, starring Aaron Paul and produced by Mark Johnson.
The company tells us it intends to incorporate new technology into the production process of projects it has in development, including a sequel to horror movie Brightburn (the IP is co-owned by H Collective and fellow producer James Gunn), a TV series about the highs and lows of the crypto trend, The Classic of the Mountains and the Seas, Shadow Song, about the emigration of Jews to Shanghai during WWII, and family movie Prince Of The Seas.
The new company, which is capitalized by seed investors based in London, Singapore and Hong Kong, is itself based in Dubai and Hong Kong with a headcount of five people. Sister production company The H Collective remains in operation.
Mark Rau, H3 Entertainment CEO, said: “Incorporating new technologies into our workflow is about enhancing and complementing, not replacing the human touch in filmmaking. Our primary commitment remains with our skilled workforce. We are determined to use technology to assist, not overshadow, the irreplaceable human touch in cinema.”
H3 says its aim is to “introduce new revenue avenues through Web3 and the Metaverse, creating a fairer and more inclusive profit-sharing entertainment model for stakeholders like talent, fans, and IP holders to benefit and participate. Additionally, H3 Entertainment is developing ways to utilize AI to efficiently process entertainment data as well as introduce responsible usage of AI elements into the creative process.”
Mark Rau and Kent Huang, co-founders of The H Collective (THC) added: “H3 is responding to shifts in the industry, aiming for a balanced and equitable approach to the current entertainment production process”.
H Collective previously had a partnership with Rakuten but that is no longer moving forward. The company’s slate has also included a fourth instalment in the xXx franchise but there’s no update on progress on that project.
