Efren Ramirez is reporting for cyko duty…
The 50-year-old Salvadoran American actor is reuniting with several of his Napoleon Dynamite cast mates for the blockchain animated series Cyko KO.
The retro-inspired series is notable for being a high-profile pilot powered through blockchain technology.
The pilot stars Jon Heder as Cyko KO, a stunt motorcyclist turned SuperEarth’s greatest hero. Adapted from a web comic, it has recently launched on Rewarded.tv, exclusive for an audience of digital collectible (NFT) holders.
In addition to Ramirez and Heder, the series also stars Tina Majorino, Jon Gries and Haylie Duff. Heder is also executive producer on the pilot through his Verified Labs label.
The show was funded through NFTs on web3 streaming platform Rewarded.tv, and is a production of Replay, THETA Labs, Verified Labs, Rocketship Entertainment, Earworm Media and Simpatico Media.
It’s the first from Rewarded parent Replay to be funded through a digital community who gain access to the show and other perks by investing.
Replay sees the launch as a milestone for production, with tech at the center of everything from funding, through to distribution an engagement.
“With the Replay ecosystem, we’ve been so excited to provide filmmakers with a way not just to fund their movie with their communities, but to actually distribute their productions and continually engage with their fans,” said said Krish Arvapally, CEO of Replay. “And we could not pick a better project to debut than Cyko KO, a fun-loving, family-friendly cartoon that’s really been brought to life by its loyal audience.”
After the pilot’s launch, Replay Digital Collectible holders will be able to access further related web3 content such as missions, badges and collectibles.