TORONTO — David Goyer, known for his work on the Blade trilogy, The Dark Knight, and Apple TV’s Foundation series, announced on Friday that he is developing a groundbreaking blockchain-based science-fiction universe called Emergence.
Emergence, as envisioned by Goyer, will feature spaceships, relic-hunting, and white holes — classic elements of science fiction that will form the basis of a vast transmedia project housed within Incention, Goyer’s innovative blockchain platform.
Speaking at CoinDesk’s Consensus conference in Toronto, Goyer shared the stage with SY Lee of Story Protocol, the blockchain platform that underpins Incention and Emergence. Goyer outlined his vision for Incention, emphasizing the platform’s ability to enable fans to collaborate with professional storytellers in shaping the Emergence universe.
“Our goal is to engage the community in this creative process, allowing them to contribute characters who will play a role in the podcast, animation, and other media projects,” he explained.
Goyer criticized the traditional Hollywood model of intellectual property development as outdated and hierarchical. He believes that Web3 technology has the potential to revolutionize the industry by fostering greater inclusivity and innovation.
Launched in 2023, Story Protocol has secured over $80 million in funding from investors such as a16z, Hashed, and Endeavor. The platform offers tools for registering, tracking, and monetizing intellectual property on the blockchain.
“Each intellectual property on Story Protocol comes with its own program for licensing and sharing royalties,” Lee elaborated. “Without intermediaries, users can remix, license, and build upon existing IP, all in accordance with the rules set by the IP owner.”
To establish the foundation of the Emergence universe, Goyer crafted a comprehensive 2,500-page story bible. He assembled a team of accomplished concept artists and award-winning science fiction authors to expand upon this narrative framework within the Emergence universe.
Additionally, Goyer introduced an AI agent named “Atlas,” trained on the material from the story bible, to assist contributors in co-creating content within the established narrative boundaries.
“This AI is designed for collaborative storytelling within a predefined structure, rather than merely scraping information,” Goyer clarified.
Visitors to the Emergence platform can explore existing characters and settings or generate their own content. The community can then vote on user-generated stories and visuals, with an editorial board — led by Goyer — determining which submissions become official lore.
“Our community will have a say in selecting the characters they’ve created themselves, and the editorial board, which includes myself and others, will decide on the best fits for the overarching franchise,” Goyer stated.
Reflecting on the pervasive influence of AI, Web3, and blockchain technology, Goyer emphasized the need for creative professionals to adapt and engage with these tools to shape the evolving landscape of digital creativity.
While concerns about job displacement and the commercialization of creative work persist, Goyer expressed his commitment to leveraging technology to empower artists and foster collaborative innovation.