Mumbai: Rainshine Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rainshine Global Inc., a global entertainment company that backs creator-led storytelling, and Animasia Studio, the animation and digital content production house, join forces to co-produce one of the biggest franchises for young adults and families – Young Captain Nemo. Anchored by RainBlox, Rainshine’s proprietary blockchain platform, Young Captain Nemo will create a vibrant fan community that enables investors and consumers to help build the next big web 3.0 multi-format content franchise beyond just an animation feature film trilogy; ancillary content will include a spinoff series, NFTs, video games, merchandise, and an original soundtrack.
Built on the rich legacy of the Jules Verne classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the first film in the Young Captain Nemo franchise is slated for a late-2023 release. A collaborative effort among world-renowned creatives from literature, TV, film, and animation, the film has attracted Henry Gilroy, producer, showrunner, and screenwriter, whose credits include DC, Marvel, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Amazing Spiderman, as well as DreamWorks’ How to Train Your Dragon and Jeffrey Reddick, screenwriter, and executive producer, known for the Hollywood franchise, Final Destination, as screenwriters. The Young Captain Nemo trilogy of novels is written by Jason Henderson, celebrated American writer of comic books, computer games and young adult novels including the Alex Van Helsing and author of the popular comic book series Sword of Dracula.
Young Captain Nemo empowers audiences to take on a larger role than just being a fan. They can now watch, play, invest, buy and vote – connecting with a 360 immersive experience – seamlessly interwoven by blockchain. Fans will follow 15-year-old Gabriel Nemo, a descendant of Jules Verne’s famous antihero from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, who is determined to protect the oceans and their creatures from polluters, whalers, and poachers one adventure at a time. Together, Rainshine and Animasia will bring the trilogy to a global audience.
In line with the content and values of Rainshine, Animasia, and its creators, the franchise will be carbon neutral with a portion of the revenue allocated to keeping our oceans and its creatures safe and protected from pollution.
The Young Captain Nemo team will also include songwriter, composer, and LA shorts nominee Saahil Bhargava as producer; Ah Loong of ABC Monsters, Harry & Bunnie, and Chuck Chicken, as animation supervising director and executive producer; and Donna Ebbs, creative supervisor behind popular IPs like My Little Pony, and Transformers Prime as a producer. Former YouTube global executive, creator economy investor, and co-founder of Creator+, Benjamin Grubbs, will take on the role of strategic advisor and consulting producer.
“Through this initiative and multi-format content franchise, our goal is to build upon the rich legacy of Young Captain Nemo,” said Neeraj Bhargava, founder, chairman, and CEO, Rainshine. “We’re very excited to showcase a young person of color as a protagonist in an animated franchise where kids from across the globe can see heroes who look just like them. Combining world-class talent with the best technology, we’re creating a one-of-a-kind experience where fans can own a piece of the franchise through our proprietary platform, RainBlox.”
“We are delighted to build the Young Captain Nemo franchise with Rainshine on such a large scale,” said Edmund Chan, managing director, Animasia Studio. “With the collaborative efforts of some of the best minds from the industry and a passionate team, we will deliver the best animated sci-fi series for global audiences. And with the introduction of Web 3.0 elements throughout the project, fans can be a part of the films, from pre-production to the product.”
“Collaborating with Rainshine to build out the franchise ecosystem for Young Captain Nemo has been extremely exciting, and we’re starting with a fun action-packed animated feature we think audiences around the world are going to love,” said Henry Gilroy. “Having been a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea fan since I was a boy, I am thrilled about the fantastic work our team is doing to bring Young Captain Nemo to the screen.”
Team credits for the Young Captain Nemo feature film include:
Producers: Donna Ebbs, Edmund Chan, Henry Gilroy, Neeraj Bhargava, and Saahil Bhargava
Executive Producers: Ah Loong, Jeffrey Reddick, Kiran Nithyanand, Marlene Sharp, Pranab Punj, and Ryan Gagerman
Consulting Producer: Benjamin Grubbs
Young Captain Nemo, a Web 3.0 Multi-Format Content Franchise, is the first project under the RainBlox platform.