Bill Murrayis finally ready to talk about all those âBill Murray Stories.â
But in standard Bill Murray fashion, heâs not going to reveal his past and musings in a conventional way.
The enigmatic and belovedCaddyshackandGhostbustersactor is partnering with viral photo site and streaming company The Chive to enter the NFT space with a line of blockchain collectibles that will tell verified Murray tales.
Each token in the Official Bill Murray NFT 1000 will have a unique graphic of Murray and accompanying text of a brief anecdote about the actor that he has either personally revealed to the company or has verified from previously published material.
As Chive Media Group co-founderJohn Resigtells it: âI asked Billâs thoughts about all the Bill Murray stories swirling about. Bill gave a surprisingly candid answer, âI like them just fine, I was even present for a few.â Bill leaned in with that mischievous twinkle in his eye, âBut there are more stories out there,betterstories.ââ¨I asked Billy why he hadnât decided to tell them, to fill in the missing pieces of the mythology? âThe timing has never been right, nor has the storytelling vehicle. I donât want to film a documentary or write an autobiography. Social media is for the birds. Still, I wish most people would understand how much I like fresh eggs, laid daily.'â (That last bit is a reference to one of the Murray stories in the collection).
Asample Bill Murray story posted Tuesdaywas about Murrayâs phone: âIt appears to be an eight-year-old Blackberry Classic. Heâs nicknamed the relic, âBill Urryâ Why? The âMâ key doesnât work. If youâve received a text from Bill in the last five years, the Mâs are omitted. Considering Bill prefers texting to talking, thatâs a lot of missing Mâs.â (Note the image below isnotthe NFT.)
The project represents a potentially savvy entry into the crowded NFT marketplace as each token isnât merely a celebrity image, but also has a narrative attached by one of Hollywoodâs most secretive icons.
The Hollywood Reportertoured The Chiveâs offices Wednesday and got a peek at some of the Murray NFTs in progress. In addition to documenting some of his encounters with fans and fellow celebrities, the tales ranged from professional topics (such as discussing a role he turned down), to philosophical Murray-isms, to his uncommon pastimes and quirks. Together, they form an impressionistic summation of a celebrity whoâs always been difficult to precisely define and pin down. Some of the actorâs most publicized tales will remain unaddressed, however, to preserve some air of mystery.
Murrayâs unique way of operating within the world of, well, everything, has grown to be the stuff of Hollywood legend. A 2018 documentary,The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons Learned From a Mythical Man(in which Murray did not participate), attempted to capture some of the anecdotes that surround the actor. A few of the Murray NFTs will give the actorâs versions of tales in the film.
Many more details about the NFT and its accompanying stories â including the NFT hero image by artist David Grizzle â will be released in the coming weeks. Resig says proceedsfor the first token up for auction will go entirely to charity and that Official Bill Murray NFT 1000 will be one of the first projects to debut on Coinbaseâs upcoming NFT marketplace. Murray was represented by David Nochimson on the deal.
The Chive launched in 2008 as a photo blog with a frat house vibe and penchant for media pranks. Over the years, itâs become known for driving its fan community toward charitable endeavors and its popular direct-to-business streaming channel Chive TV. The company has long partnered withMurray, including sponsoring an annual charity golf tournament with the actor (The Murray Bros. Caddyshack Charity Golf Tournament).In 2019, The Chivelaunched a streaming platform, Atmosphere, which has 67 channels, including Chive TV.
Last year, The Chive launched a blockchain technology company calledProject Venkman(a play on the Murrayâs iconicGhostbusterscharacter), which is seeding the NFT project and has raised $4.6 million in seed funding. Murray has also come on board as a partner in the company.
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