Actor Ron Perlman and a handful of other entertainment and tech leaders are teaming up to launch a business platform called Watrfall. The enterprise aims to be a financing and development platform for film and television projects, fueled directly by fan input and investment. The site goes public on Aug. 22.
Watrfall works by creators submitting scripts and pitches, and then fans who invest in the platform vote on which ones get funded and developed, according to the company. Creators retain creative control throughout while using Waterfall’s team to manage production finances. Meanwhile, the fans retain a stake in the platform and its content, allowing them not only to enjoy the films they help greenlight, but share in their successes. Reportedly, investors will be entitled to 100% of the first slate of films Watrfall produces, and 5% of its profits in perpetuity. The platform aims to create additional revenue through tiered memberships, creator tools, and platform fees.
“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,” Perlman said. “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.”
Accordingly, the platform aims to create more direct lines between creators, audiences and the works that bind them.
Alongside Perlman, Watrfall is founded by Academy Award winning producer Michael Donovan, founder of loM and former CEO of DHX Media, Dana Landry, and tech innovator Willie Morris. Collectively, they state, “Watrfall isn’t just a platform — it’s a reimagining of how entertainment is made, funded, and shared. With this model, we’re finally putting the decision-making power into the hands of creators and audiences.”
Perlman is known for his work on the FX drama “Sons of Anarchy,” the 2004 Guillermo del Toro fantasy-actioner “Hellboy,” the Amazon Prime Video drama series “Hand of God” and CBS’ 1990s fantasy drama “Beauty and the Beast.” Perlman was vocal during the SAG-AFTRA strike in 2023 about artists rights, consolidation in Hollywood and other social issues.
Watrfall is powered by crowd investment platform Republic‘s film vertical, which has previously supported enterprises such as Eli Roth’s The Horror Section, Robert Rodriguez’s Brass Knuckle Films, Skybound, Bucket List Studios, and Pressman Film. The company’s tech infrastructure is handled by Walrus, a decentralized data management platform that can store, deliver and stream video.
(Pictured: Ron Perlman)