Web3 Entertainment Studio Toonstar to Release NFT-Backed TV Series ‘Space Junk’

Web3 entertainment company Toonstar will soon release a new non-fungible token (NFT)-backed animated television show called “Space Junk.”

The comedy series, a story about trash collectors in space, is written by “Workaholics” producer Dominic Russo and stars “Napoleon Dynamite” actor Jon Heder and “School of Rock” actor Tony Cavalero.

The producers presented the world premiere of the first episode at Consensus 2023 in Austin, Texas. The creators, voice actors and producers then gathered onstage for a discussion about the inspiration for and behind-the-scenes negotiations of the series.

Fans of the show will be able to mint “Space Junk” NFTs on the Theta blockchain, giving them an opportunity to engage with the project’s intellectual property (IP) through building the show’s narrative, creating characters and participating in token holder-only experiences.

Read full coverage of Consensus 2023 here.

John Attanasio, CEO and co-founder of Toonstar, told CoinDesk that the model of “Space Junk,” as well as other Toonstar productions, helps break down traditional creator regimes that have existed for years in Hollywood.

“Our mission really is twofold – one is to create original entertainment IP using Web3 as a springboard and the other is giving opportunities to new and diverse creators that may not have had a chance to … get something made,” said Attanasio.

“Space Junk” will also incorporate artificial intelligence into its content generation process. The show will feature a robot character named “Wellbecca” that is fully AI-generated and encourages fans to interact with her.

“It's really cool knowing that we have the inclusion of the audience and the community, and having a little bit more of that interaction in terms of them really putting forth ideas,” Heder told CoinDesk. “I'm very curious to see how that will come about.”

Toonstar landed on the map in March 2022 after it released its show “The Gimmicks” with actress Mila Kunis, allowing token holders to help choose the direction of the show. In July, Toonstar partnered with retailer Hot Topic to release NFT-linked merchandise for the show.

Space Junk NFTs will be available to mint on May 15, and the show will be available for streaming on May 19.

Updated (April 27, 2023 at 20:10 UTC): Added video from panel discussion at Consensus 2023.