The US/Ireland Co-Production will create stories and new original characters for comics, animation and products aimed at global audiences.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 13, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Wen, a cryptocurrency brand with over 230,000+ community members, in partnership with Elevate, a transmedia entertainment studio renowned for launching digital networks and franchises by crafting immersive storyworlds, product programs and fan experiences announced in a new partnership to develop the brand's iconic character in animation, comics and products. While a web3 project gave birth to "the internet's cutest cat," this partnership will take fans and characters on journeys in media formats that appeal to all audiences.
Jeremy Hughes of Elevate remarks, "We are seeing the rapid transformation of fandoms where fans want to be integral in the stories they love. They want to be part of a community. More and more those communities are driven by creators, IPs, and niches they deeply love and the WEN community represents this perfectly."
Elevate, with its success in bridging diverse fandoms across multiple mediums, including notable collaborations with the Ultraman franchise, Columbia Records, and Justice, brings its expertise in storytelling to this innovative venture.
This partnership is being led by Elevate's new Head of Development, Caitlin Burns, whose previous projects include franchise development and production for Disney Descendants, James Cameron's Avatar, Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and 343 Industries' Halo.
"The next wave of ground-breaking intellectual property story worlds will grow from powerful communities - where fans can dive deep and be a part of the journey of the stories they love," Burns commented. "We're excited to create this new world to take the character, Wen, and explore new horizons that will appeal to wide audiences and existing community members."
"Modern audiences don't just want to feel involved, they want to be involved with the stories they love. Strong fan communities are the catalyst that allows original stories to grow into the next wave of global IP franchises," Burns added.
Bringing the character to life in art and animation will be Dave Minogue and Adventurverse Studios, an Ireland-based animation company that is part of the Elevate family of companies. Using machine learning and game engine technology to support human creativity, the team plans to bring the project to life in comics and animation piloting as short form later in 2025. "Animation production is evolving fast and not only in terms of speed but access too. The same innovations driving this shift are breaking down barriers, empowering independent creators, and decentralising the tools of production. It's where creativity, technology, and new ownership models converge—and what's really exciting is that philosophy runs through every part of the WEN IP pipeline"
WEN is not only a cryptocurrency but the proud owner of the #1 and #2 cat accounts in the world (@shouldhavecat & @postsofcats) and want to bring this original storyworld to everyone, everywhere. Jake Lieser, Co-Founder adds, "We're excited to bring Wen and the ideas of invention and experimentation that drive our incredible community to a wider audience. We want to be the pioneers allowing community members and holders to benefit from the success of a tokenized IP. Having the ability to be involved in a mass market IP - like the next Pokemon or Hello Kitty – opens up so many possibilities for fans and Wen is a trailblazer."
For more information about this exciting partnership and upcoming projects, please contact: [email protected]
Wen is the internet's cutest cat and the heart of a growing global phenomenon. More than a brand, Wen is on a mission to become one of the world's most iconic and beloved IPs. Wen started as a gift to community members in crypto, gifting money to help over 1M+ people using blockchain technology.
Nearly a year after Wen's initial beginning, the mission and vision has expanded to curate a global IP that fans and holders can partake in Wen's journey and benefit from any future success.
Elevate Pictures is a dynamic transmedia entertainment studio renowned for its innovative approach in blending digital networks, franchise storytelling, and technology. Based in Columbus, OH, the company specializes in creating immersive narratives that seamlessly integrate across various platforms, including film, digital media, live and interactive experiences. Founded in 2008, Elevate Pictures has established itself as a visionary in the entertainment industry, working with a diverse array of global brands and franchises. Committed to pushing creative boundaries, Elevate Pictures is dedicated to connecting and inspiring audiences worldwide with its engaging and forward-thinking content. For more information, visit Elevatepictures.com or follow Elevate Pictures on Linkedin.
Adventurverse Studios is an Ireland-based animation company using innovative technologies to build lean, efficient pipelines that deliver high-quality animation at speed. We focus on practical tools and smart workflows that reduce bottlenecks and adapt quickly to creative feedback.
Their team is based in Ireland, with international co-production partners and strategic collaborators in the UK, Finland and Estonia. By leveraging regional tax rebates and partnerships, we help clients maximise value without compromising on craft.
Jeremy Hughes is the CEO and Co-Founder of Elevate Pictures, an entertainment studio building digital networks and franchises right in the space where entertainment, advertising and technology are meeting head-on. Jeremy has a wide range of experience across the creator economy, entertainment, advertising and technology where he is able to leverage a unique blend of experience across multiple disciplines.
He has been at the forefront of the creator economy where he was part of the original Maker Studios team and is an accomplished producer and director working with many of the world's biggest creators, brands and franchises.
A pioneer of the concept of Transmedia Storytelling in Hollywood, Caitlin Burns is best known for creating multiplatform narrative strategies for major global film franchises, AAA console games, television shows and global brands. Along the way, she developed a reputation as the producer to call when you need a new type of project made, or to create sustainable business models for a new media format. Burns has produced and designed for dozens of platforms including film, television, digital and social platforms, themed entertainment, mobile apps, cruise ships, web3, commercial space tourism, and software - including the first generative art plugin for Unreal Engine - the Palm Generative Art Maker.
A globally renowned expert on fanbases and audience development - her teams led the creation of the first DC Super-Villain created by fan votes: The Legacy Cowl and the original DC Comic series Batman: The Legacy Cowl. This first of its kind community development program allowed participants to play in online adventures as citizens of Gotham City and participate in exclusive fan events with legendary DC creators.
She has created award-winning experiences, campaigns and strategies for well-known IP, Brands and institutions including: Pirates of the Caribbean, Descendants and Tron Legacy for Disney, James Cameron's Avatar, Halo for Microsoft, The Happiness Factory for The Coca-Cola Company, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for Nickelodeon, Transformers for Hasbro, Batman: The Legacy Cowl for DC & WBD, and UNICEF Kid Power.
Dave Minogue is an award-winning filmmaker based in Kilkenny, Ireland. His debut feature, Poster Boys, was released in cinemas and later acquired by Sky Cinema, Sundance Poland, and Peacock. He is the co-founder of Adventurverse Studios, where he develops original transmedia IP across film, animation, TV, games, and immersive media. His work was nominated for Innovation at the Irish Animation Awards. Current projects include Dawn of the Wing-Ed Freaks!, The Mighty Oak (RTÉjr), and The Assassination of Michael D. Higgins. Backed by Slate Funding from Screen Ireland, he is building a long-term pipeline of feature films and animated series—driving creative momentum and production capacity through Adventurverse Studios.
Dave's credits include the Oscar-longlisted The Wiremen, along with Buoy and The Lucky Man—showcasing his commitment to bold, audience-driven storytelling across formats and genres.
Media Contact
Joe Niedecken, Elevate, 1 6142561803, [email protected], www.elevatepictures.com
SOURCE Elevate
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