The Book of Boba Fett Continues the Star Wars Renaissance
Star Wars has written so many rules of Hollywood and entertainment that it's impossible to quantify its impact. It pioneered breakthroughs in the art and craft of film with its innovative approach to special effects, CGI and sound design. It created an entirely new model for marketing films with its endless array of merchandise from action figures to lunch boxes. And now here we are, nearly 50 years on, and its impact is continuing to be felt.
As one of Hollywood's first "forever franchises," Star Wars has joined Marvel in the modern era with a seemingly endless sprawl of spin-offs and side stories. Of course Star Wars had its own "expanded universe" of books, comics and video games that served as a fertile ground to wrap die hard fans into its sprawling mythology. However, big budget Star Wars fare was reserved for once a decade "trilogy" of film releases. This all changed as soon as Star Wars jumped into the Streaming Wars with the release of The Mandalorian.
The Mandalorian succeeded where the latest trilogy of Star Wars films failed, in minting new characters and adventures that fans instantly cared about. The stoic, titular character oozed an effortless Western movie cool, while the iconic "baby Yoda" captured the hearts and interest of fans of all ages. The Mandalorian proved that Star Wars can rival Marvel in spinning yarns with the IP that resonate with modern audiences and culture at large.
Now comes the arrival of The Book of Boba Fett. The continuing saga of a longtime fan favorite character, presumed to be dead since the character's on-screen demise at the hands of Han Solo in 1983's Return of the Jedi. However, in the Star Wars expanded universe and in the head canon of millions of fans, Boba Fett was immortal.
Now that head cannon is Disney executive suite level approved Canon. Boba Fett lives, and they are going to ride that fan wish fulfillment as far as the narrative can stretch.
So, on with the review. How does the first episode "Stranger in a Strange Land" hold up?
It's a crowd-pleasing, sparse and action heavy ride of a "re-origin" story for an enigmatic character that always left more to the imagination. Written by Jon Favreau and directed by Robert Rodriguez, the episode starts off exactly where we left Boba Fett--buried in the belly of the Sarlacc pit in the sands of Tatooine. With very little exposition, we learn that Fett, played with steely resolve by Temuera Morrison, survived. We are quickly moved through a series of familiar, 1980s era Star Wars environments--the sands of Tattoine, a village of Sand People and Jabba's distinct palace.
We follow Fett as he quickly pivots from survivor into self-anointed "crime lord." With his loyal assassin, Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wend), by his side, he quickly maneuvers through the Tatooine underworld, collecting debts and trying to establish his new rule through doing the dirty work himself, face to face with the various gangsters and under lords of the planet.
Nothing is jaw dropping or surprising plot wise, it's only the first episode after all. But Rodriguez and Favreau have paid worthy homage to the vibe and texture of the original Star Wars films. Something Favreau has perfected in the aforementioned Mandalorian series. The creatures and droids have the right feeling to them, and in many cases, thanks to technology, actually look better realized than their predecessors from 1983. The story is highly visual, letting the actions and mystery of the episode build to a slow boil. The environments and locations take on a character of their own.
We are introduced to the dangers of Tatooine that await Fett and Shand. Reptilian beasts that live under the sands. Rival crime gangs. Inter gang politics. With Fett now having returned from the dead and shown his face again, we can start to imagine the characters both old and new who will come out of the woodwork or sand to challenge his new rule. There are obvious tie ins to be made with Han Solo, the character who "killed off" Fett in Return of the Jedi. With recent rumors of Harrison Ford having filmed something Star Wars related recently, there is the possibility we'll see a de-aged performance, similar to what The Mandalorian successfully pulled off at the end of season two.
For The Book of Boba Fett to succeed, it needs to establish the humanity behind the masked bounty hunter. It also needs to weave a unique and independent narrative that treads the careful line between fan service and new creativity and world building. For an entertainment property supposedly set in an entire galaxy, the stories we've seen so far all feel strangely limited to a singular family and set of established characters. The Book of Boba Fett is another chance for modern Star Wars to take us on an adrenaline fueled, jet-pack ride across the galaxy and reconnect us to the magic inspired by the original films. By recapturing that feeling, that cinema magic, and not simply reiterating the story beats, The Book of Boba Fett can move the Star Wars franchise in a hopeful, new direction.
The Book of Boba Fett has started streaming on Disney Plus. New episodes drop every Wednesday.
BlockbusterDAO and How Web3 Can Disrupt the Film Industry
Now that NFTs are entering the end of their first year in the mainstream spotlight, it's time to look ahead to how the space can evolve next. What started as a seemingly random novelty around PFP projects, is now maturing into collective movements with a central thesis and purpose.
Enter DAOs. The emergence of "decentralized autonomous organizations." Basically the web3 version of companies, in which the governance and decision-making is distributed across the DAO's token holders. Two early notable examples are ConstitutionDAO, who famously nearly bought an original copy of the US Constitution. And the KrauseHouseDAO, who are a collective of passionate NBA fans, looking to pool their resources and skills to purchase an NBA franchise. https://www.theverge.com/22820563/constitution-meme-47-million-crypto-crowdfunding-blockchain-ethereum-constitutionhttps://krausehouse.club/
Next to step up into the DAO space is BlockbusterDAO, whose mission is to buy the nearly forgotten Blockbuster Video, and recalibrate it into a web3 streaming monster capable of battling and taking down reigning champion Netflix. This is an interesting project to watch, as it is a direct meta-play on the content space. With clever reimagining and the right mix of talent and resources, it doesn't take much imagination to see how a modern day Blockbuster could turn into an entertainment behemoth. https://www.businessinsider.com/blockbuster-dao-decentralized-movie-streaming-service-nft-dish-network-2021-12?amp
The folks behind BlockbusterDAO have put out a high-level, strategic roadmap that makes a convincing case for the realistic path ahead. They plan to start small, using their NFT token sales to buy the rights to films at festivals, and then use more funds to move the films into a distribution pipeline that mixes both theatrical releases and digital streaming. As the roadmap moves forward, BlockbusterDAO will eventually pool their resources to fund original screenplays and filmmakers to create original IP under the banner of Blockbuster Originals. It's a path we've seen before with Netflix of course, and before they knocked out their first few hits, critics were skeptical about their film pedigree. https://twitter.com/BlockbusterDAO/status/1474960373291749378
It's a solid thought experiment if nothing else, about what the quick raising of token funds could be used for. It's a worthy analog to the old school film industry system of raising funds from investors and putting film deals together. If NFTs and token sales can raise equivalent funds, who is to say they won't have the buying power in Hollywood to move filmmakers hungry to make original content over to the Blockbuster banner. Crank out a few hits and an Oscar nomination or two, and suddenly there is a new player in town, all thanks to the crowdsourced power and passion of web3.
This project has the right kind of nostalgia attached to it similar to how a reddit wormhole powered the falling Game Stop stock into an overnight Wall Street darling. It will be interesting to see how the sentiment builds around Blockbuster, which is still a highly-memed brand, and one on the verge of falling into a cultural black hole. It wouldn't make a bad comeback story for web3 advocates. And with the right talent attached early on to give the project film credibility, we could be looking at the modern prototype of how to build a film studio from scratch in 2022. https://www.theverge.com/22251427/reddit-gamestop-stock-short-wallstreetbets-robinhood-wall-street
Here's to hoping the BlockbusterDAO token will waive all of those late fees and unlock unlimited releases. Hell, bringing back a physical store or two, available only to NFT holders has a nice sense of poetry to it as well.
Nike, RTFKT and the Future of Fashion in the Metaverse
Nike is often one of the first brands to experiment with new technology and platforms. Afterall, their forward thinking ethos is "to bring innovation to every athlete on the planet." So it should come as no surprise that they are taking bold steps into the Metaverse.
Several years ago they registered the patents for "Crypto Kicks," before the whole NFT and blockchain boom really went off. And recently they have been making more moves, first with the unveiling of NikeLand on the upstart gaming metaverse Roblox, and then with their splashy acquisition of RTFKT, the indie virtual fashion house. https://thenextweb.com/news/nike-blockchain-sneakers-cryptokick-patenthttps://www.complex.com/sneakers/nike-roblox-virtual-nikelandhttps://www.theverge.com/22833369/nike-rtfkt-nft-sneaker-shoe-metaverse-company
While Adidas and Under Armour have already come out with Metaverse offerings, you can expect Nike to be in it for the long haul. They have long been pivoting to become a digital first company or the Amazon of Sneakers. Their recent metaverse ambitions will only help expand their digital footprint. https://www.dezeen.com/2021/12/19/adidas-enter-metaverse-first-nft-products-design/https://www.coindesk.com/business/2021/12/21/under-armour-steps-into-the-metaverse-with-stephen-curry-wearable-sneaker-nft/
So before their meta-dreams become a reality, lets take a look into the future and speculate what some possible outcomes of Nike's presence in the metaverse could look like.
Secondary Market
Nike wrote and then re-wrote the rules on the sneaker secondary market. They have the supply and demand game of cat and mouse down to an exact science. They know exactly how to push and pull hypebeast collectors with perfectly timed drops of new colorways, classic re-issues and headline making collabs. Now they are taking those talents into the metaverse and NFTs markets, of which secondary sales is a key feature.
Now sneaker enthusiasts will be able to own their grail sneakers on the blockchain forever. Unlike traditional sneakers that yellow and disintegrate over time, virtual kicks will remain intact for all time. No humidifying. No restoration. Add this to provably scarce releases and drops on Nike's SNKRS app, and you get a result custom made in sneaker closet heaven. https://www.nike.com/snkrs-app
Virtual Retros
The OG Nike Air Jordan 1s are one of the legacy sneakers that continually see eye-popping prices on auction sites. But the past is past. The Jordan 1s will never be launched for the first time ever again. Except within the metaverse. https://www.grailed.com/drycleanonly/jordan-1-history
Yes, at sometime in the near future, you will be able to bid on the first Nike Air Jordan 1 to step into the metaverse. I expect the initial prices will already be wild do to the legacy and historical IP behind the legendary sneaker. Add to this history with an insanely low mint count, and sneakerheads could be experiencing new levels of FOMO. Setting some ETH aside now...
Nike Plus Loyalty Program
Nike has been playing around with and iterating their ecosystem of digital apps for years. They are always looking for ways to reward athletes for moving their bodies. Run a certain distance and you unlock a discount. Show up at a special event and show you're a member of Nike.com and get a limited edition shirt. They'll be taking this behavior with them into the metaverse.
Imagine by holding some kind of Nike NFT that you will accrue points and eventually tokes over time. "Just Do It" coins anyone? Nike has long been relying on email signups to track and reward users. Now with the inception of NFTs, they can simply airdrop exclusive rewards and access to holders. No more confusing signups at events anymore, just flash your NFT and enjoy the ride.
Activity based NFTs
They will also be able to introduce NFTs that dynamically change and become enhanced the more you move. Maybe everyone starts off with a basic avatar, and through using the Nike suite of apps, they can gradually build up and tone their virtual selves. Put in reps at the weightroom and your avatar gets a little more cut. Set a PR on your morning run and get a confidence boost of your attributes. Show up at a Nike sponsored event and get the custom merch for your avatar. Run a Nike race and get the virtual medals to show for it.
Influencer Collabs
Nike pretty much invented the influencer / athlete collab. They were the first company to invite athletes like Michael Jordan into the early design discussions to help inform the look and features of their signature shoes. They kicked things off on a cultural and street cred level with their Pigeon Dunk collaboration with Jeff Staple. (Who has just recently collaborated with RTFKT on his own Meta-Pigeon sneakers.) In the early 2010s they changed the game again when they collaborated with Kanye West to release the instantly coveted Nike Air Yeezy. Since then, it's become a standard move to partner with the influencer of the day, give an existing shoe a new colorway and a personal story and sell it to their fans. https://opensea.io/collection/rtfkt-x-jeffstaplehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike_Air_Yeezy
Expect Nike to bring this playbook with them into the metaverse. With virtual reality as a canvas, I expect to see an even wider array of cultural figures brought into the mix. Digital artists, visual artists and experimental designers will all figure into the future of Nike's offerings. Giving the sneaker giant the ability to tap into different niches alongside keeping their core fans coming back for the newest shiny kick to add to their virtual shoe lockers.
New Breeds
Nike would be able to milk their existing and retro models for eternity if they wanted to play it safe and keep growing their digital business. However, I imagine with RTFKT as partners and consultants, they'll be taking a few crypto-native swings and experiments along the way.
Imagine a dynamic, generative version of Nike ID. Where you log in, maybe set a few attributes, and then AI creates a custom, never been seen before, 1/1 Nike that is a random combination of traits and models from over the years. Creating entirely new hybrid Crypto-Kicks. Imagine some day in the future also being able to buy the physical version of what you created digitally.
There is no finishline in the metaverse
There is no doubt Nike is setting up shop for the long term. I remember reading Nike founder Phil Knight's book in the mid 1990's where he had a section that talked about the future of Nike. He said that one day Nike would be like a sports Disneyland, and it would become a place where you could live out your sports fantasies, possibly even in virtual reality. Well, Uncle Phil, it looks like your prediction is starting to come to life...
Steph Curry and Under Armour Drop First Wearable Metaverse Sneaker
Under Armour has entered the emerging metaverse Sneaker Wars with the release of an NFT basketball shoe, the Genesis Curry Flow NFT, celebrating NBA legend Steph Curry's setting of the all-time three point record. Each metaverse sneaker was priced at $333 (wink) and comes with the promise of them being able to be worn across a variety of metaverse platforms. https://www.yahoo.com/now/under-armour-steps-metaverse-wearable-223841698.html
Now cue all of the usual FUD and social noise around a big brand doing something "inauthentic." However, at some point, if the metaverse is going to reach some kind of critical mass-adoption, don't we need big brands taking big swings in the space?
Adidas already made their splash last week when they partnered with Bored Apes to release their series of avatars and virtual fashion line. As these brands are being advised by so-called "crypto-native" members of the community, you can assume they will have some sort of long term strategy, dare I say "roadmap" with vague offers of future "utility" and IRL rewards. Adidas is already pairing their virtual gear with real life equivalents. They've even introduced an innovative system where after you claim the physical merchandise, you can burn your token in exchange for a new one, which will alter your avatar, giving them a new colorway, and denoting that you have already claimed the exclusive prize. https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/17/22843104/adidas-nfts-metaverse-sold-bored-ape
Back to Steph Curry, who has been one of the early high profile athlete adopters of NFTs after his purchase of a Bored Ape. Afterall, that seems to be the move that other celebs have aped into, from the Wolf of Wall Street to DJ Steve Aoki. Buy the Bored Ape, flex it on social, and then roll out your own branded NFT project. For celebs who get it, they will understand this is more than a one-time cash grab, but has the potential to serve as a long-term runway of personal brand building and fan engagement. Just like in web 2.0, it will be painfully obvious which athletes let their management teams run their persona, and who are authentically engaging with the community, in addition to picking up their royalties. https://currency.com/jordan-belfort-set-to-drop-the-wolf-of-wall-street-nftshttps://www.forbes.com/sites/jimryan1/2021/08/06/steve-aoki-on-nfts-and-dominion-x-blockchains-first-episodic-tv-series/?sh=3d3607015424
Steph Curry seems to know the media game well, so I expect his personal brand to be a natural fit for metaverse projects. Which bodes well for Under Armour and the siloed Curry Brand moving into the future.
Of course the elephant in the room is Nike, who is not so silently waiting in the wings, after having acquired metaverse fashion house RTFKT a couple of weeks ago. Nike has a history of jumping into innovative formats, and soon becoming the leader, even if they weren't necessarily first. Given that Nike wrote the rules on the secondary sneaker market, the world of NFTs seems like a natural analog to apply that expertise in supply and demand to. https://news.nike.com/news/nike-acquires-rtfkt
In the meantime, load up your MetaMasks and get ready for a series of virtual sneaker drops coming up soon.
An NFT Manifesto
Our history on the Internet was a test run for this moment.
No longer will we be at the mercy of giant media companies who turn us into the product and sell our information to the highest bidder.
NFTs are the first platformless media. They exist on the blockchain which is a globally spread out computer network that exists across thousands of machines, unable to be controlled by any one entity. Everything that happens on the blockchain is open source and transparent to all.
Finally, our information is ours.
And it is the network and our peers who will decide what our data is worth.
When a video went viral on YouTube, who saw the profit on those millions of views?
When a post received millions of "likes" on Facebook, again, who profitted?
When a song streams on Spotify, how many fractions of a penny is the artist entitled to?
NFTs flip the table over on this system of platform dominance.
Now, memes, art, music and culture are valued and directly attributable back to their creators. The blockchain gives credit and funnels the flow of value and money to the original creators.
Do you see where this is headed?
It's also like the early days of Amazon or Apple, only the next giants of culture are going to be individual creators sitting behind laptops on beaches or wherever they want to set up shop.
Buying a Bored Ape or a CryptoPunk now, is like buying shares of Microsoft back in the day. It's an early, early bet on where the future of value might be centered.
NFTs create a virtual stock market of culture.
And the canon of culture will all be traceable on the blockchain, forever. Platforms will come and go, but the underlying NFTs and units of culture will exist forever. Think what these early NFTs will be worth in ten or twenty years from now.
Hint: Now is a good time to dip your toes in.
NFTs are mankind's wall paintings. For the first time in human history, the things we make, can all exist in the same medium. The cultural playing field has been leveled. We are coming out from the shadows of the corporate algorithms and have finally been empowered (we have empowered each other) as individual creators who are valued for what we build and make.
The State of NFTs: Late Dec 2021
NFTs combine many traits and behaviors we are familiar with to create a new and emerging experience that is being defined on a daily basis.
Once you get past the surface shock of thinking of NFTs as "just JPEGs" or pictures on the Internet that you can right click and save, you'll find a rich rabbit hole of discovery waiting for you to dive into.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of traits and functions that an NFT can have:
They can be a store of value, similar to a share of stock.
They can reward you with dividends, more tokens, additional NFTs and money.
They can serve as VIP tickets to exclusive events online and IRL.
They can work like loyalty programs, giving you rewards in the future, based on you still holding the NFT. The creator can Airdrop you additional rewards based on knowing exactly who still holds the NFTs.
They can be combined with other NFTs to create an even rarer asset.
They can be "burned" or destroyed forever. Sometimes this is the key to increasing the scarcity of a collection and unlocking new value.
They can serve as your digital identity. Both online, and in terms of getting verified for IRL events.
They can be used in games and metaverse experiences. Giving you an access point and key to web3 experiences.
They can be lent out or "staked", giving you rewards and dividends for helping stabilize the blockchain.
They can give status or exclusive membership, like being a member of a country club.
They can be any media: image, movie, sound, document, contract, real estate deed, business ownership, etc.
NFTs can contain one or a combination of the above traits. As certain rewards become popular in various test cases, those rewards will be adopted more broadly across the NFT space.
Right now is the time for experimentation. And a lot of the hype is based on the fact that the people who discover new NFT communities first, are disproportionately rewarded for their discovery. This drives the hype around making bets on new projects.
It's still extremely early, and now is the best time to dip your toe in and see what benefits NFTs might hold for you. Until you get past the surface idea that NFTs are simply a fad, you won't realize the potential they hold to change the entire way that we live our online lives.
@oyl
