In a bid to counter the control that large corporations wield over the film industry and traditional media, veteran Hollywood producer Kevin Foxe is turning to the world of cryptocurrency and gaming. Foxe, who served as the executive producer for the 1999 cult classic horror film “The Blair Witch Project,” is now looking to transform the 2014 Dark Horse Comics graphic novel “Mandala” into a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG).

Foxe’s collaboration with the creators of “Mandala,” writer Stuart Moore and artist Bruce Zick, began almost a decade ago, and together they explored potential adaptations of the comic. The graphic novel presents a grim tone, blending elements of the occult and spiritual mysticism with an apocalyptic, biting critique of corporate power and surveillance states. It follows protagonist Mike Morningstar as he combats the GRID, a “global mind-control system,” alongside a group of superhero-like mythological characters known as The Thirteen.

In an interview, Foxe shared his vision for the project, expressing a desire to create multimedia, community-driven experiences that “gamify” the “Mandala” narrative. He envisions the project spanning across multiple platforms, with plans for a television series, a video game, and other interactive experiences. He also discussed the idea of utilizing technology to tell stories and collectively referring to the project’s many elements as an “enlightenment simulator.”

Foxe’s decision to develop “Mandala” in Web3 is driven by his goal to counteract large corporate entities that compromise user data and privacy. He revealed that a “Mandala” television series, initially in development at Warner Bros. before AT&T’s acquisition in 2018, is still underway, with the project’s IP rights remaining with his team.

Foxe’s vision for “Mandala” has always been centered around it becoming a game. The MMORPG will be developed in “tranches” as the team moves into Web3, with Foxe and his team currently seeking a Web3-savvy “game partner” to help build out the title. Some game environments and characters have already been created using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine.

“Mandala” has also experimented with non-fungible tokens (NFTs) across multiple chains, such as Ethereum, Polkadot, and Cardano, with plans to release future NFTs on the Polygon-powered Immutable zkEVM network. While the role of existing “Mandala” NFTs within the game has not yet been determined, Foxe hinted at “rabbit holes” for fans to explore in the tokens’ unique attributes metadata.

Ultimately, Foxe’s vision for “Mandala” represents an ambitious endeavor that seeks to bring together various media, gaming, and cryptocurrency elements, fostering a new and innovative form of storytelling that empowers both creators and audiences alike.