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Aptos Labs is Bringing Blockchain to the Movies with the Launch of: FREE RENFIELD In partnership with Universal Pictures' new horror comedyFor Universal Pictures' Renfield, in theaters April 14, LOS ANGELES, March 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Aptos Labs, Forward Studio and Signal and Cipher, today jointly announced, in partnership with Universal Pictures, a fan-fueled twist to the launch of Universal's new horror comedy, Renfield (in theaters April 14), starring Oscar winner Nicolas Cage as Dracula and Emmy-nominee Nicholas Hoult as Renfield, his long-suffering servant. Promoted by partner Fandango, advertised on Bloody Disgusting, across theatrical digital pre-shows and on Universal Pictures' media channels, FREE RENFIELD is free to play, accessible on mobile and desktop devices and runs from March 24th to April 20th. Brought to life by the Aptos blockchain, FREE RENFIELD affords fans the opportunity to compete for a chance to be entered to win a variety of Dracula inspired prizes, including the Renfield digital art collection; auto-generated, individualized prizes that are minted and become a tradable collectible. The Renfield digital art collection is a series of four designs following the story of Renfield, Dracula's familiar on his quest to free himself from the clutches of the Prince of Darkness. This series features special poster designs and custom comic art based on key scenes from the Universal Pictures film Renfield. Each piece is tied to different levels of physical and digital prizes one can win by playing the Renfield Sweepstakes. In the film, Renfield eats bugs to temporarily give himself superhuman powers, which served as the inspiration for Forward Studio creating FREE RENFIELD, an interactive web-based game that allows users to search for bugs, which are starring key characters in the film, for a chance to win Dracula inspired prizes. Players simply look at movie scenes for the hidden bugs, then select the right scene for a chance to win and be entered to win a prize lot worthy of a dark lord. FREE RENFIELD meets fans where they already are, and allows users to seamlessly integrate web2 and web3 technologies into their everyday lives. Users will be challenged to swipe through a series of stylized photos to find the bugs and win both digital and physical collectibles. Enhancing Fan Engagement With Blockchain How to Participate:
Prizes Available for Eligible Participants:
When it comes to the digital collectibles, in particular, a key feature will be different unique designs—with four different types of digital collectibles in play:
Bringing Fans Together Through Unique Partnerships & Experiences Bringing the Renfield experience to the broadest group of entertainment fans was realized through a collaboration with Fandango, the ultimate digital network for all things movies that reaches more than 50M unique visitors per month. In addition to being the nation's top online movie ticketer, Fandango helps extend the fandom of movies to millions of moviegoers through its robust social platforms and direct-to-consumer marketing efforts. Leaning into Story to Bridge Web2 and Web3 for Fans Forward, the agency that conceived and built the experience shapes all its work based on story. "With such a rich story that goes back to the 1800s being told in such a contemporary way, it was such fun territory to highlight that, regardless of what cool tech is out there, it's still just us humans trying to relate and connect with each other," said Rachel Noonan, Chief Strategy Officer at Forward. "Without new blockchain technology like Aptos coming into the market to build on the current infrastructure, we wouldn't be able to push forward with experiences like this that involve fans directly and creatively," added Sam Schoonover, Founder of Forward. Experiences like the FREE RENFIELD Challenge built on Aptos are powered by Move, a programming language developed by former Big Tech engineers that uses a more carbon-efficient proof-of-stake consensus method that taps into a network of validators. The result is an immersive fan experience accessible on a global scale and with minimal environmental impact. "It's always easy to come up with the idea, but building it with new technology is a different beast. At Signal and Cipher, we've seen the power of emerging technologies like virtual production, and the convergence of web2 and web3. We are proud to deliver an immersive fan experience powered by invisible technology and completely integrated into the plot of Renfield," said Ian Beacraft, Founder, Signal and Cipher. "When I worked at the movie theater in high school, I used to daydream that I was the star in the latest movies as I swept popcorn off the floor. Now I have the unique opportunity to actually bring this dream to life with the FREE RENFIELD Challenge, a partnership of our high-performing blockchain technology and one of the world's top studios. Together, we create a world where fans can feel like films are made just for them, which is such a cool addition to the legacy of storytelling and culture." To complete the FREE RENFIELD Challenge, click here: https://freerenfield.renfieldmovie.com/ ABOUT RENFIELD In this modern monster tale of Dracula's loyal servant, Emmy nominee Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road, X-Men franchise) stars as Renfield, the tortured aide to history's most narcissistic boss, Dracula (Oscar® winner Nicolas Cage). Renfield is forced to procure his master's prey and do his every bidding, no matter how debased. But now, after centuries of servitude, Renfield is ready to see if there's a life outside the shadow of The Prince of Darkness. If only he can figure out how to end his codependency. Renfield is directed by Emmy winner Chris McKay (The Tomorrow War, The LEGO Batman Movie) from a screen story by The Walking Dead and Invincible creator Robert Kirkman and a screenplay by Ryan Ridley (Ghosted series, Rick & Morty series). The film also stars Golden Globe winner Awkwafina (The Farewell, Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings), Emmy winner and Oscar® nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Saddam, House of Sand and Fog), Ben Schwartz (Sonic, The Afterparty), Adrian Martinez (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Focus) and Brandon Scott Jones (Ghosts, The Other Two). Renfield is a Skybound/Giant Wildcat production, produced by Chris McKay, Samantha Nisenboim (co-producer, The Tomorrow War), Bryan Furst (Daybreakers), Sean Furst (Daybreakers), Robert Kirkman and David Alpert p.g.a. (The Walking Dead). The executive producer is Todd Lewis (unit production manager, Jason Bourne). ABOUT APTOS NETWORK ABOUT APTOS LABS ABOUT FORWARD STUDIO ABOUT SIGNAL AND CIPHER ABOUT UNIVERSAL PICTURES ABOUT FANDANGO
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