David Ayer will write and manage the NFT series “Lollipop” – Deadline
Stewart Cook/Polygon
David Ayer will write and produce the upcoming racing series Lollipop along with partner Chris Long, CEO of Cedar Park Studios. The series will invite audiences to actively participate in a narrative written by Ayer as they compete in a virtual racing circuit linked to the plot. The next generation storytelling experience will combine elements of episodic streaming, gaming and professional sports.
“With Lollipop, we’re inviting audiences to engage with a story like never before, and Ayers’ deep knowledge of technology and global automotive culture makes him the perfect choice to create an emotional, action-packed narrative in the realm of professional racing,” says Steven Ilous, founder and CEO of Feature.
The show will feature ten episodes and ten races set in some of the world’s most alluring destinations, highlighting local cultures as an integral part of both the narrative and the competition. The races will take place on digital street courses in host cities starting in Los Angeles. The story will interweave gamified racing with plot events that will affect cars and conditions in the virtual racing circuit. Teams must pay close attention to adapt and survive if they want to reach the podium at the end of the season.
“We are proud to partner with Feature to write and produce Lollipop, a truly first-of-its-kind media experience,” said David Ayer, co-founder of Cedar Park Studios with partner Chris Long. “I look forward to developing many twists in the narrative that will translate into unique challenges in the races ahead.”
Lollipop, which will be built using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5, the world’s most advanced real-time 3D animation tool, will deliver photorealism to both the streaming series and adjacent competitive circuit. Academy Award-nominated Visual Effects veteran Jerome Chen will join the Lollipop production team as a VFX supervisor and producer.
“The Lollipop project will break new ground as a digital, interactive media experience,” says Jerome Chen. “By producing the series in Unreal Engine 5, we want to create a dynamic connection between the audience and David Ayer’s story. Just as viewers are affected by events in the experience, their reactions will directly change the story of the story.”
The feature is backed by Cedar Park Studios, an independent film studio founded by David Ayer and Chris Long. Cedar Park is currently producing The beekeeper starring Jason Statham, with Ayer directing and Long producing.
