Elijah Wood and Daniel Noah’s production shingle SpectreVision is partnering with former co-founders of the pop culture collectibles company Mondo to launch Mutant, a new art and collectibles venture.
Mutant CEO Jenny Jacobi will lead a team comprised of Spencer Hickman, Eric Garza, Mitch Putnam and Mo Shafeek,who worked until 2023 as creative directors for Mondo’s poster and vinyl divisions, to work on the production of “limited-edition artwork, soundtracks on vinyl, collectibles, unique experiential events, and more.” Garza and Putnam will focus on posters, original artwork and other consumer products while Hickman and Shafeek helm the music sector.
With Mutant’s launch comes the release of the vinyl soundtrack of the Netflix film “Society of the Snow,” which was scored by Michael Giacchino; the record will includeliner notes by director J.A. Bayona and artwork by Shafeek. Subsequently, Mutant will debut a vinyl print of the soundtrack for Paul King’s “Wonka,” which features songs and music from Neil Hannon and Joby Talbot’s original score. Looking ahead, Mutant will also release posters for “Dune: Part Two.”
Wood and Noah said of Mondo’s creative directors, “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.”
Hickman and Shafeek commented on their vision for Mutant: “Gone are the days of monoculture — and with that, we’ve seen a fracturing of cultural awareness around much of the media produced year after year. With Mutant, we aim to build a foundation for fandom with curation and celebration — not only for the biggest soundtracks of the year but also for those films, television and video games that get lost in the sea of choices in the world of streaming. We want to build a community where all are welcome by creating tangible pop culture products for all fandoms.”
The music department is currently working on productions that include scores by Michael Giacchino, Hans Zimmer, Carter Burwell, Isabella Summers, Goblin, Laura Karpman, Le Matos, and Simon Waskow, among others.
Meanwhile, Garza and Putnam said, “We’re extremely excited about being back in the poster game as we aim for a ‘return to form’ for limited edition artwork. Our priorities center around art-focused projects with an emphasis on championing our favorite artists, designers, writers, and filmmakers and continuing to push the boundaries of what we’ve accomplished already.”
Future Mutant releases will feature the work of Aaron Horkey, Nicolas 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, and Ken Taylor, among others. Following the company’s launch with the twin foundations of posters and vinyl, Mutant plans to expand into new collectibles categories including original Sofubi vinyl figures, pop-up galleries with original, fine artwork, and design services that give studios and filmmakers creative opportunities that aren’t necessarily tethered to specific films, such as a composer’s side project or fine art piece.
Tim League, who founded Mondo as an offshoot of theater chain the Alamo Drafthouse, joins Steven Demmler, CEO of Talon Entertainment Finance, as two of Mutant’s founding partners.
