Elijah WoodandDaniel Noah’s production banner SpectreVision is venturing beyond the world of movies and video games to create a new premium collectibles shop for fans of all things pop culture. Not only that, but the company, alongsideAlamo DrafthousefounderTim Leagueand Talon Entertainment CEOSteven Demmler, is also partnering with a creative bunch that knows how to deliver distinctive memorabilia — the former team behindMondo, including co-foundersEric GarzaandMitch Putnam. United under the new name Mutant, this group will focus on producing limited-edition artwork that will reflectthe high quality of Mondo’s best pieces, as well as vinyl soundtracks, unique “experiential events,” and much more.
Mutant will creatememorabilia for pop culture fandoms big and smallby utilizing the expert skills of a team that knows and truly loves television, movies, video games, music, and art. While this means partnering with Disney, Universal, Warner Bros., and Netflix among other big production companies, the new outfitpromises pacts with independent filmmakers, studios, and artists of all kinds to celebrate even some of the most underrepresented intellectual properties. Like Mondo before it, Mutant also has plans to work directly with artists internationally to create original works.
To begin their collection, the team will start with a selection of memorabilia from a few recent and upcoming films. First up is a vinyl soundtrack forJ.A. Bayona’s Oscar-nominated survival filmSocietyof the Snow, which began the yearby dominating the Netflix charts. The vinyl release will provide a collectible package for the score by acclaimed composer andWerewolf By NightdirectorMichael Giacchino, including liner notes by Bayona himself and cover art by former Mondo creative directorMo Shafeek. Following that is another vinyl for the chocolatey hitWonkawith Neil Hannon’s songs andJoby Talbot’s original score featured in a package with an intricately crafted, foil-stamped art print done byAaron Horkeyas part of a collaboration with Pressure Printing. Mutant’s other new project that it can reveal at this time will return the team to their Mondo roots as they plan a line ofDune: Part Twoposters in time forthe sci-fi epic’s release on March 1.
Who Else Makes Up the Mutant Team?
Garza and Putnam are joined at Mutant by Mondo’s other creative directors who were axed from the company afterFunko restructured last year, including Shafeek andSpencer Hickman, who will handle the music division together. They’re also joined by Mutant CEOJenny Jacobi, another Mondo veteran with a long list of leadership positions under her belt at Valve, Alamo Drafthouse, SXSW, Sundance, and the Telluride Film Festival among others. In terms of future releases, the team already has a lot planned together, with posters featuring artwork fromNicolas Delort, Matt Taylor, Deb Lee, Phantom City Creative, Rory Kurtz, Matthew Woodson, Greg Ruth, Francesco Francavilla, Teagan White, Daniel Danger, Murugiah, We Buy Your Kids, andKen Tayloras well as scores byHans Zimmer, Carter Burwell, Isabella Summers, Goblin, Laura Karpman, Le Matos, Simon Waskow, and many more.
To join forces with the crew that helped Mondo become a pop culture icon was a dream come true for Wood and Noah. TheLord of the Ringsstarwas a particularly vocal criticof Funko’s initial decision toshut down the company’s signature movie poster divisionat the time. To everyone involved,Mutant is seen as an opportunity to keep that legacy going stronger than ever with a new name and leadership. In a statement, Wood and Noah heaped praise on the team, saying:
“It’s not hyperbole to say that we’re superfans of this team and their work. Our offices are covered in their prints and our shelves lined with their records. It’s a true privilege to provide a platform for them to not only continue the incredible work they’re known for, but to also expand in ways that they’ve been keen to for years.”
Society of the Snow
In 1972, the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, chartered to fly a rugby team to Chile, catastrophically crashes on a glacier in the heart of the Andes. Only 29 of the 45 passengers survived the crash and finding themselves in one of the world’s toughest environments, they are forced to resort to extreme measures to stay alive.
