Why a game studio used TikTok’s Michael Le to recommend ‘Ashfall’ – The Hollywood Reporter

The timeline for a successful video game franchise typically goes something like this: The game launches and quickly becomes popular among players. The die-hard fans started creating content inspired by the game and their favorite characters, helping to bring that IP into popular culture. There may be a movie or TV adaptation. And as more people are introduced to the game’s world, more fans are created, leading to more demand for derivative content. And so on, and so on.

But the leaders at Liithos, a multimedia game studio headed by former PlayStation executives, are about to do things a little differently with their first studio IP, ashes, set in the post-apocalyptic Pacific Northwest ravaged by climate change, civil war, and mutations caused by dark energy. The film is about Ash Naranjo, a character born without arms and implanted like a robot to help him save his family and hometown.

Instead of waiting for the ashes comic book or video game series will be released first, the studio hopes to garner interest and build an early fan base using the talents of Michael Le, a known TikTok star. comes as @justmaiko who has over 52 million followers.

Starting January 29, Le will star in a five-episode series — released every Sunday on his TikTok account — that will see the creator join in. ashes cosplay universe as the protagonist for a storyline involving Le saving his younger brother Jonathan. The series will also feature Slider Jesus, another digital creator known for his elaborate zombie and monster costumes, as the main villain.

“People often make videos based on things [the audience] known or liked. As for me, I love making animated videos, so I do everything with naruto characters or things that people already understand,” Le said Hollywood Reporter. “This is kind of using the same concept but creating our own IP, and I think it’s something no one has really done, especially for a game company of this size. It’s great to be a part of something like this.”

Le shot the TikTok series at Willow Studios in downtown LA and invited his VFX team to provide continuity for his other effects-heavy videos. After each episode is premiered, Liithos will also release a set of five NFTs inspired by each episode and in the style of comic book covers by Marvel and DC artists like Coran Stone (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1), Fico Ossio (There’s no one left to fight, Spiderman), John Cassaday (planet, Incredible X-Men), Dave Wilkins (Master of the Universe: Revelation #3, Star Wars – Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison), Karl Kerschl (superman adventure, majestic) and Tom Raney (Destruction: Conquest, The last mutant).

Digital collections will be made available free of charge, in addition to processing fees, on CoinZoom for one week after each episode’s release, and the collections provide owners with an early preview of the release. ashes manga series, set for release in March and created by the day has passed writer and Liithos vice president John Garvin. Viewers who have collected all five sets will also be given access to the sixth digital collection.

Michael Mumbauer, CEO and Founder of Liithos, Co-Developer Our last and undiscovered as studio executive at PlayStation, said he watches ashes deployed as a “gravitational experiment” with a seemingly reversed timeline and the challenges of introducing a new world in short format to TikTok. Although the video game is still “a few years away” from being officially released, Mumbauer said he hopes the TikTok series will offer something out of the ordinary to help attract fans and reward fans. them when participating in this video game. ashes early universe.

“Honestly, I don’t think there’s a more charismatic person on TikTok than Michael. And not just from his ability to dance and tell stories, but honestly, it’s amazing to see his natural acting ability,” Mumbauer said.. “Hollywood is TikTok, and Michael is in that wave.”