Baobab Studios, a Hollywood-based animation company renowned for winning nine Emmy Awards for its exceptional short films and virtual reality (VR) experiences, is venturing into the world of Web3 with a new family-friendly project called “Momoguro.” Along with this project, Baobab Studios is also introducing an Ethereum-based NFT collection to engage users in a unique storytelling experience.

Momoguro is a colorful and whimsical fantasy world created by multimedia director and animator Martin Allais and writer-director Nico Cassavecchia. It features adorable creatures called “Momos,” who can combine their powers to form hybrid characters. The project is launching NFTs and an NFT-based role-playing game (RPG), where players can embark on quests across a world known as the Uno Plane to merge Momos.

The Momoguro genesis NFTs are being minted for 0.22 ETH (approximately $365) each, and players can adopt “Holoselves” to enjoy the Uno Plane. The Momoguro RPG will be hosted on ImmutableX, an Ethereum scaling solution, and will have NFTs as a core game feature. The game is scheduled to launch in Q2 2023.

Baobab Studios is not a Web3 company, but it is exploring the possibilities of how NFTs can offer an engaging storytelling experience to its users. Baobab Studios CEO and Co-founder Maureen Fan stated, “We believe stories transcend mediums. Baobab Studios’ mission is to inspire you to dream and bring out your sense of wonder. Make YOU matter. This begins by creating great characters and stories, like Momoguro, where you can be part of the story. We aspire to bring the Momoguro IP to as many channels, streaming platforms, and widespread media as possible.”

The creators of Momoguro also believe that their property’s lore carries an essential message. Cassavecchia stated, “Community plays a big part in this. Inclusivity is paramount for the franchise, from ethnicities, genders, and body-types, Momoguro’s ethos is that everyone is welcomed.”

Baobab Studios has raised over $31 million in total funding from major investors like Disney, Samsung, and Comcast, and boasts of having renowned industry professionals such as Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull and Twitch co-founder Kevin Lin on its board.

Although Baobab Studios is not the first Hollywood studio to release NFTs or Web3 content, it is more focused on creating a sense of community than just generating revenue. The studio has already hosted Twitter Spaces for Momoguro fans, garnered a significant following on Twitter, and has almost 50,000 members on its Discord server.