By Greg Gilman
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Ridley Scott and his commercial company, Ridley Scott and Associates, have partnered with online network Machinima to produce 12 original sci-fi short films, Machinima announced on Monday.
RSA's directing talent will helm "original high octane science fiction content" to be distributed through Machinima, which boasts the No. 1 entertainment channel on YouTube.
Machinima CEO Allen DeBevoise hopes the partnership with Scott will result in new franchises for the genre.
"By combining this unique incubation model together with our powerful partnership of established creative talent and scaled distribution to millions on Machinima," DeBevoise said, "we believe new Sci-Fi franchises will be born."
Machinima's original content and scripted series are aimed at the 18- to 34-year-old male demographic, which recently delighted in the company's adaptation of "Mortal Kombat" - a videogame franchise that inspired two Hollywood productions in the '90s.
The first season of the web series, called "Mortal Kombat: Legacy," has racked up more than 60 million views and inspired Warner Bros. to begin developing a new feature film. The second season kicks off this spring.
Scott, the director of science-fiction classics "Alien" and "Blade Runner," is eager to take advantage of the medium that propelled "Mortal Kombat" back into relevance and hopes his own original content will connect with the same audience.
"With new media transforming the way audiences connect with films and filmmakers, Machinima is a great partner for us as we embark on this new model of delivering original content to fans," Scott said in a statement. "It's a tremendous opportunity for pushing the creative boundaries for both our filmmakers and the audience."
