Kickstarter, Lucasfilm Alumni Launch Fandom

Jon Leland, the former Chief Strategy Officer at Kickstarter, and Ivan Askwith, who previously led digital media at Lucasfilm, have launched Popular Demand, a studio and technology company built around developing and distributing content for existing fandoms. The company will develop, finance, produce, and distribute film, television, publishing, gaming, and live experiences, according to a Variety report.

Popular Demand’s first major release is “Fucktoys,” a dark comedy-drama directed by and starring Annapurna Sriram, with a cast that includes Sadie Scott, Damian Young, Brandon Flynn and François Arnaud. A theatrical release date has not yet been set.

Askwith said the studio’s approach grew out of the “Fucktoys” project itself. “We started working with Annapurna on ‘Fucktoys’ because we heard an existing fandom asking what they could do to get the film distributed,” he said. “Fans are constantly expressing what they care about, what they want more of and what they’re willing to support. Popular Demand exists to take these communities seriously, understand what is driving that passion and work with both artists and fans to bring these projects to life.”

Leland described the studio’s development process as research-driven and fan-financed. “We work alongside creators, producers, IP holders and other partners who are actively developing new projects,” he said. “We identify the right fandoms or communities for the project with them, bring in our team of fandom experts to research those audiences and then help shape the development of the project from those insights. For financing, we bring fans and brands into the project early on to finance as much of the project as possible.”

Founding partners also include Daniel Dominguez, head of creative development, and Jacob Robinson. The company’s advisory board includes Kristen Bell, Alex Winter, Image Comics co-founder Todd McFarlane, music producer Ryan Lewis, and Dr. Henry Jenkins, alongside executives from YouTube, Skybound, Artists First and CAA. Investors include TMV and additional private backers.

Popular Demand said more projects and creative partnerships will be announced in the coming weeks.

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