Set in an alternate, futuristic version of Los Angeles, RZR invites viewers to deeply reflect on their intricate relationship with technology. It immerses them in a gritty, dystopian world brimming with advanced neural implants, sophisticated artificial intelligence, and the shadowy, dangerous realm of black-market crime. The series debuted to an enthusiastic and captivated audience at Comic-Con’s prestigious Hall H, featuring a stellar and dynamic cast that includes Danny Trejo, Mena Suvari, and Christopher Marquette. An eagerly anticipated second season, consisting of eight thrilling episodes, is set to premiere in April 2024.

RZR will be available on Gala Film, a cutting-edge web3 entertainment platform powered by GALA. Gala Film aims to empower passionate fans and innovative creators through its robust web3 ecosystems and genuine content ownership, positioning itself as a formidable competitor to traditional streaming services. The platform is also preparing an ambitious “For Your Consideration” campaign for the 2024 Emmy Awards season.

We joined up with David Bianchi, creator, executive producer and co-writer of the series, who also plays the title role of Grimm. We chat through the show’s development and how GALA is changing the game.

Read the interview…

Hey David, how’s it going?

Perpetually grateful and doing my best to stay focused.

What inspired you to create “RZR” and explore themes of neural implants, artificial intelligence, and black-market crime?

RZR draws inspiration from Elon Musk’s Neuralink technology. While Musk isn’t the pioneer of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI), his volume sparked my interest. The story revolves around a man installing an implant in his brain, granting instant access to all data: downloading, transmitting, and relaying in nanoseconds. Imagine having the entire power of the internet in the blink of an eye, and instantly accessible in your mind. RZR delves into questions of human will and morality when granted ultimate power. It challenges whether morality still holds significance when one possesses an absolute edge over others.

Can you walk us through the creative process of developing the dystopian world of “RZR”?

The aesthetic elements of RZR including its grit, look, texture, camera work, and costumes are influenced by my life experiences. As a former rave promoter for nine years, electronic music and B-boy culture are deeply ingrained into who I am. Raving in warehouses for days straight is part of my past, and I wanted to infuse that gritty, industrial energy into the series. I aimed to create a series I would personally enjoy watching, with grounded performances that explore both the strengths and weaknesses of humanity. The series centres around a flawed closeted genius and addict, striving to make the world a better place despite his personal struggles. Films like “Children of Men,” “Requiem for a Dream,” “Kids,” and even “Spring Breakers” served as inspirations. These are the kind of films that cinematographers and directors truly admire. The goal was to create a cinematic series that could be compartmentalized as an episodic show but prioritizes every language of cinema.

Can you share any memorable moments or behind-the-scenes stories from the set?

On day one, the first scene we shot was the craniotomy drilling sequence, and we used a live drill. It was a memorable moment as my team was very concerned about it actually hurting me, but when you can’t afford $15,000 in visual effects–you do it live! It was a great challenge for our team to find the right distance to my head while ensuring that it was close enough to look terrifying on cameras. The other scary part was it was attached to a robotic arm, if the coordinates didn’t land for some reason, I ran the risk of it literally drilling me! But everything worked out great!

As one of the first live-action series released exclusively on the blockchain through Gala Film, how do you think this distribution method impacts the viewing experience and the industry at large?

I have had the honour to work with Gala and love working with them because their philosophy is creator-forward. Gala has allowed me the freedom to make the show that was in my mind and my heart without any oversight or creative interruption, they allowed me to hire whom I wanted to and build the world that I envisioned. RZR is everything that it is today because of that lack of oversight; it’s unprecedented in Hollywood that financers will give producers that degree of creative freedom, and because of that they have been a dream come true. Not only that, but the technology promises a new way to interact and immerse yourself in the content. This is the true promise of how we can disrupt streaming ecosystems and streaming culture as we know it.

What advantages does the blockchain provide for content creators and viewers in terms of ownership and engagement?

Blockchain technology can revolutionize secondary royalties for artists and artistic systems in general. Never in the history of mankind have artists ever received secondary royalties for any piece of art; Web3 technology doesn’t only make art accessible at a global level but it also creates ownership. So, for the first time in internet history, we can digitally own things. On the blockchain, artists’ work cannot be broken, manipulated, or destroyed and so they are unique–hence the term non-fungible token. When I discovered the power of this technology, I knew that I was here to stay. I wanted to keep forging forward and keep discovering how deep the rabbit hole would go. What I get from Web3 can never be created in Hollywood, but we can do our best to merge this technology and creator economies to blend them into Hollywood to create something new. Gala Film is not reinventing the wheel, we’re just working to make it a little bit better and reward artists the way they should be rewarded. The streaming world is ripe for disruption and Web3 technology can help assist with that.

What are you most excited for viewers to see in “RZR”?

People are going to be exposed to a gritty, grounded and sophisticated world of science fiction that most sci-fi fans are not used to. The goal was to create a world that is unique unto itself. More than anything, I think that audiences will be drawn to the hero’s journey; they will be drawn to Grimm and all of his positive and negative traits as he tries to make the world a better place through science fiction tech. The cyberpunk look and feel of the show will also attract many genre fans; I’m excited to see how far the world goes.

What has the reception been like since the trailer debut at Comic-Con?

We were able to screen it in Hall H, which is such a legendary room where some of the biggest genre movies and shows have debuted. It was a dream come true to showcase the teaser at Comic-Con San Diego on four jumbotron screens in concert sound. The audience was gripping to the power and the pace of it. They cheered loudly as soon as it was done; that is when I knew that we were on to something. Now that RZR is released, people are responding just as favourably, if not more.

Follow David Bianchi on Instagram at @davidbianchi_official.