EXCLUSIVE: Golden Globe winner and multiple Emmy nominee Ron Perlman has launched Watrfall, a first-of-its kind creator-led, fan-focused financing and content development platform for film and television. Along with Perlman, Watrfall is co-founded by Oscar-winning producer Michael Donovan (Bowling for Columbine), Dana Landry, founder of IoM and former CEO of DHX Media, and Willie Morris, founder across multiple verticals including fast growth consumer, new & traditional media, and technology.
Per the co-founders, Watrfall empowers fans to financially invest in the stories they care about while actively participating in their creation through voting on projects, engaging in the creative process, and gaining transparent access to financials, enabling fans to step into the role of producer.
“We built Watrfall to realign the entertainment value chain—where creators are in control, where the people who make content actually benefit from its success, and where film and television lovers everywhere can have a real seat at the table,” said Perlman. “This is not only the beginning of a new model—one where power and participation are shared, but of a movement that empowers those who are in it for the love of culture.”
Watrfall enables fans to invest in the company and its inaugural slate of programing. They vote and decide what content gets funded and developed, and then share in the profits generated by the content they helped greenlight. Creators submit scripts/projects for consideration for fans to vote on, retain creative control over their content and receive support from Watrfall’s team to manage funding and monetization.
Watrfall is powered by the film vertical of Republic’s SEC-regulated investment platform and Walrus, a decentralized data management platform capable of storing, delivering, and streaming high-definition video on-chain. Watrfall will also use Seal, a decentralized secrets management service, to control access to data stored on Walrus.
Investors in Watrfall will be entitled to 100% of the net profits from its first slate of films it produces, as well as 5% of the platform’s profits in perpetuity. Public investment opens August 22 at Watrfall.io.
“Watrfall isn’t just a platform—it’s a reimagining of how entertainment is made, funded, and shared,” said co-founders Donovan, Landry, and Morris. “With this model, we’re finally putting the decision-making power into the hands of creators and audiences.”
