Los Angeles has embraced the metaverse. Now, more Hollywood big names are joining the hype, with Meta Hollywood beefing up its advisory board with a roster of celebrities.
Actor Megan Fox, rapper Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson III, Spyglass Media Group, LLC CEO Gary Barber, producer Avi Lerner, producer Jessica Elbaum and producer Joel Silver have all joined Meta Hollywood, a “community-first ecosystem” hosting film memorabilia and IP. With the project, Meta Hollywood intends to foster a digital space for movie fans and creators.
"We specifically chose celebrities and entrepreneurs in the field of entertainment that will lead Meta Hollywood into becoming a haven for entertainment lovers,” Meta Hollywood co-founder Robert Earl said in a statement. “The community will allow fans to interact within our shared Hollywood-themed ecosystem of exclusive digital and physical experiences powered by blockchain technology and the joint venture's native utility token."
Last week, the company announced a virtual Hollywood-themed backlot movie studio in the virtual gaming world of The Sandbox, where users will be able to tour sets and walk red carpets. Meta Hollywood isn’t alone in utilizing virtual real estate—Playboy is planning to launch a virtual version of its iconic (and controversial) mansion. At the MetaMansion, users will be able to play games, attend social events and collect digital releases based on the magazine’s history.
Other celebrities are also bringing movie sets to life. Director Jordan Peele’s s Monkeypaw Productions and Universal Pictures announced Tuesday a partnership with Meta to craft a VR version of the ranch featured in his upcoming release “Nope.” Available for free on Meta’s Quest 2 virtual-reality headset, people can ride a train, tour the ranch and play minigames as they interact with other users. Peele also plans to release “Get Out World” and “Us World”—based on his previous films—later this summer.
Even beyond film, more celebrities are turning to virtual spaces, as evidenced by Paris Hilton crowning herself “Queen of the Metaverse.” Karlie Kloss is the latest model to join the trend with five pop-up shops available on the gaming platform Roblox. Opening Tuesday and running through July 25, “Fashion Klossette Designer Showcase” features virtual clothing items that can be purchased with Roblox’s cryptocurrency.
But as crypto falters, it may impact the metaverse, which often relies on various currencies for transactions. That doesn’t seem to worry early crypto-adopter Snoop Dogg, who told CNBC that businesses will continue to thrive in virtual reality.
“This [crypto winter] weeded out all the people who weren’t supposed to be in the space and who were abusing the opportunities that were there,” he told CNBC.
