Lionsgate’s “Hellboy” and other movies are getting virtual real estate in The Sandbox — a decentralized gaming virtual world similar to Roblox — in a new bid by the studio to extend its intellectual property into more digital realms.
Lionsgate is the first Hollywood studio to team with The Sandbox on a virtual land. The companies plan to develop Action City, an area in the game that will feature 2019’s “Hellboy” and other Lionsgate and Millennium Media action films, including Sylvester Stallone vehicles “Rambo,” “Rambo: Last Blood” and the three movies in the “The Expendables” franchise.
The content in Action City will let Sandbox players create their own experiences using both original and established characters and worlds. Players will be able to equip their 3D avatars with items based on the Lionsgate properties or deploy them in original user-created experiences.
In the future, Lionsgate and The Sandbox also expect to launch a virtual land studded with the studio’s catalog of horror titles.
💥 ACTION CITY! 💥
We are delighted to welcome @Lionsgate, who will become the first film & TV studio to enter The Sandbox!
🎬 Action City will host film-themed experiences from a number of franchises, starting with #HellBoy!
Find out more ⤵️https://t.co/WatGIGuqww pic.twitter.com/Z33cSahVuB
— The Sandbox (@TheSandboxGame) June 15, 2022
“We can’t wait to open our Lionsgate land in The Sandbox metaverse so fans around the globe can create, play and explore our film IP in ways that go beyond what’s possible in the physical world,” said Jenefer Brown, Lionsgate’s EVP and head of global live, interactive and location-based entertainment.
The Sandbox, which first launched in 2012, is a subsidiary of Animoca Brands. Other companies and brands that have partnered with the Sandbox include Warner Music Group, Ubisoft, the Rabbids, Shibuya 109, Gucci Vault, the Walking Dead, Snoop Dogg, Adidas, Deadmau5, Steve Aoki, Richie Hawtin, The Smurfs and Care Bears.