Wētā Workshop, the special effects and design company known for its work on The Lord of The Rings, Avatar and Blade Runner 2049, is partnering with LAMINA1 to create an intellectual property framework so creators and fans can jointly develop works by cyberpunk author Neal Stephenson.

The collaboration, known as “Artefact,” will bring to life immersive experiences that incorporate fan action and input alongside LAMINA1 co-founder Stephenson. Beginning this fall, the author and the Wētā team will begin engaging a global community of creators and fans on the LAMINA1 platform to unravel the lore behind a mysterious set of “Artefacts” that will build upon the themes from Stephenson’s critically-acclaimed catalog.

"This is more than just a new virtual world—it's a new way to build worlds,” Stephenson said in an e-mailed statement. “It’s a promising new way of looking at what we can offer to both creators and their communities. By collaborating with Wētā Workshop, we’re forging a new path in digital worldbuilding.”

“Artefact” is the first major multimedia property launching on LAMINA1's blockchain infrastructure and tooling, and is one of the most-advanced examples of creator-fan co-creation within the web3 ecosystem to date.

"Our collaboration with Wētā provides first-class pressure testing of our feature set and capabilities,” LAMINA1 co-founder and chief executive officer Rebecca Barkin said in the e-mailed statement. She said the project would prove that “outstanding creative quality can be delivered on decentralized networks.” 

While LAMINA1 has 65,000 active users in its community, it remains to be seen if the new co-creation mechanics will inspire enthusiasm from the community and motivate fans to take action.

The partnership draws on Stephenson’s and Barkin’s time together at Magic Leap, where the duo previously worked with Wētā Workshop. Though now, instead of artificial intelligence, it’s blockchain technology that’s being leveraged to drive IP expansion through not only co-creation but also through digital item drops, questing and experiential game development.

“To collaborate with people who share our absolute passion for creativity and storytelling—and to make things that can inspire and connect—has long been at the heart of Wētā Workshop,” chief executive officer Richard Taylor said. “We can’t wait to see what’s to come.”

lead image: Neal Stephenson