Coinbase Set to Launch 3 Animated Bored Ape-Themed Short Films

Crypto exchange Coinbase has issued a casting call to all Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFT holders who’d like to see their simians featured in an upcoming animated series of short films.

The production, a three-part series titled The Degen Trilogy, designed to tie in with the exchange’s long-rumoured NFT marketplace, has called for submissions up until April 13.

Missed Out? There’s Always Part Two or Three

Ape owners who make the casting cut will receive a licensing fee of US$10,000 in ApeCoin or bitcoin, according to the film’s website, and those who miss out may be eligible for the remaining instalments of the proposed trilogy:

The film is set in the 2020s in a “chaotic” New York City where “for the first time, digital goods and services have outpaced all other indicators as a measure of value in the market”, according to the prologue.

As the old system crumbles, whole new realms spring forth from the ashes. (…) Enter the Degens. A new class of social adept, versed in the constantly re-invented tools of an ever accelerating economy.

Prologue, The Degen Trilogy

Coinbase Admits Project May Not Make Any Money

While Coinbase has said that it is unlikely to profit from the series, any proceeds would be donated to an as-yet unnamed non-profit organisation. The company added that the point of the trilogy is to “reward and connect with our communities through projects that bring the ethos of Web3 to life: collaboration, transparency, and opportunity”.

The first episode will be released at the NFT.NYC conference, scheduled to take place from June 20-23, with parts two and three to follow over the subsequent year. A Coinbase wallet is required to access the film’s website, although not to view the films.

Last week, director Kevin Smith was excoriated on Twitter after announcing his next film would be launched as an NFT. And late last year, BlockbusterDAO announced its intention to relaunch the Blockbuster brand as a film streaming service with future plans for movie financing and production.

With signs of NFT fatigue beginning to set in, it will be interesting to see whether any of these projects gets off the ground: