HBO’s virtual premieres keep getting better!
As quarantine continues, HBO’s virtual premieres have been the highlight of our summer. Last week, HBO Max launched Raised by Wolves from Executive Producer Ridley Scott, with an exclusive virtual live screening of the premiere episode that marks Scott’s television series directorial debut for American audiences. Cast in attendance included: Abubakar Salim, Amanda Collin, Niamh Algar, Aasiya Shah, Ethan Hazzard, Felix Jamieson, Ivy Wong, Jordan Loughran, Matias Varela and Winta McGrath.
Prior to the event, we received a deluxe curated gift featuring a Necromancer – a 3D model of “Mother,” a specialty cocktail and original astronaut space snacks. Guests experienced the Kepler 22-B landscape via augmented reality using a provided QR code to tap into the orange dome dwelling created by executive producers Aaron Guzikowski and Ridley Scott.
Notable attendees included: Dan Amboyer, Cleo Anthony, Darren Aronofsky, Tyra Banks, Charlie Barnett, Beck/Woods, Doug Benson, Brandon Boyer, Brannon Braga, Yvette Nicole Brown, Cara Buono, Gina Carano, Jade Chynoweth, Jamie Costa, Emily Coutts, Jesse Cox, Bryan Craig, Alex Cubis, Henry Ian Cusick, Brett Dalton, Dexter Darden, Iain De Caestecker, Bryan Dechart, Matthew Del Negro, Juan Delcan, Doctor Popular, Brando Eaton, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Alex Edelman, Flying Lotus, Bradley Everett Young, Alexander Flores, Brittany Furlan Lee, Joe Gatto, Janina Gavankar, Brett Gelman, Jeante Godlock, Julie Gonzalo, Kim Gordon, Kiowa Gordon, Chris Gorham, Jack Dylan Abu Grazer, Brian Greene, Eugenie Grey, Greg Grunberg, Angel Haze, Christina Hendricks, Anders Holm, Gabriella Jackman (Black Krystel), Sophie Jaffe, Penn Jillette, Penny Johnson Jerald, Alexis Joy, Atandwa Kani, Karama, Chris Kattan, Romina Laino, Hayley Law, Paul Levinson, Jason Lewis, Carly-Rae London, Caity Lotz, Loni Love, Lucas Machado, Kayla Maisonet, Leiomy Maldonado, Tariq Malik, Taryn Manning, Skye P. Marshall, MC Frontalot, Jane McGonigal, Joel McHale, Pollyanna McIntosh, Idina Menzel, Ingrid Michaelson, Markus Molinari, Patrick Monahan, Shabazz Muhammad, Barbara Muschietti, Daniel Nguyen, Danielle Nicolet, Nyambi Nyambi, Steven Ogg, Gianni Paolo, Alex Pardee, Tom Payne, Alia Penner, Brad Peyton, Phil Plait, Emmett Plant, Adina Porter, TK & Cipriana Quann, Adriyan Rae, Norman Reedus, Alysia Reiner, Tony Revolori, Christina Ricci, Joey Richter, Natasha Rothwell, Christopher Sabat, Harry Shum, Jr., Floria Sigismondi, David Silverman, Hannah Simone, Laura Slade Wiggins, Tori Spelling, Kia Stevens, Booboo Stewart, Jade Tailor, Ben Templesmith, Bria Vinaite, Terry Virts, Cole Walliser, Dayton Ward, Elyse Willems, Russell Wilson, Shannon Woodward, Chelsea Zhang and Carl Zimmer to name a few.
The series, which was filmed in South Africa, centers on two androids tasked with raising human children on a mysterious planet: Kepler 22-B. As the burgeoning colony of humans threatens to be torn apart by religious differences, the androids learn that controlling the beliefs of humans is a treacherous and difficult task. The show is produced by Scott’s Scott Free Productions, with Scott, writer and creator Aaron Guzikowski, David W. Zucker (The Man in the High Castle), Jordan Sheehan (The Terror), Adam Kolbrenner (Prisoners) and Mark Huffam (The Martian) serving as executive producers.
The virtual premiere and afterparty were produced by Gallagher, an Experiential Agency, who’s mission and creative goal is to produce dynamic experiences that evoke a genuine emotional response. Before the screening Ridley Scott and Creator and Executive Producer Aaron Guzikowski delivered opening remarks. David Zucker gave closing remarks and then series stars Abubakar Salim and Amanda Collin invited all attendees to join the cast and executive producers for the immersive afterparty.
During the afterparty, guests journeyed through the world of Kepler 22-B where they could explore the two worlds within the series. Live performances from Neuehouse Hollywood included DJ Huneycut and Elephant Heart. DJ Huneycut, a young female DJ on the rise, intertwines hip hop, pop, house, indie sounds, electronic bass, and R&B/Soul with smooth blends on the turntables. Next up, we checked out Elephant Heart. The group is a world electronic collective from married artists, Jason and Victoria Evigan, that creates genre-bending music that pulls multicultural influences and whose music is designed to drive awareness and engagement of philanthropic campaigns. Jason Evigan is an award-winning producer and songwriter responsible for some of today’s biggest hits from artists such as Maroon 5, Madonna, Ellie Goulding, Jason Derulo, Demi Lovato, and Rufus Du Sol. Victoria Evigan is a musician, visual artist, set designer, and stylist known for using makeup, hair, environments, and fashion to create contemporary expressions of the Elephant Heart ethos. Their music was fantastic and really matched the vibe of the show.
At the virtual bar, Bottle Service (BTL SVC) Hosts Nathan Oliver and Ria Soler showcased three molecular mixology styles for their signature “Spicy Maid” cocktail. BTL SVC produces award-winning, hand-crafted premium quality, ready to serve cocktails and custom recipes.
In the Astronomy room, guests learned about the possibility of life on planets like Keplar 22B and beyond with the “Raised by Wolves: The Podcast” Host Holly Frey, and Lucianne Walkowicz, an astronomer at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. Walkowicz studies stellar magnetic activity and how stars influence a planet’s suitability as a host for biological life. She worked on NASA’s Kepler mission.
In support of the virtual premiere event, HBO Max made donations to Life Choices and Conservation South Africa. Life Choices helps women and men who are facing unplanned pregnancies, offers healing from post-abortion stress, and educates about sexual life choices. Conservation South Africa is a member of the Conservation International network and is committed to helping society to adopt a more sustainable approach to development, one that considers and values nature at every turn.
The highly anticipated series is now available on HBO Max.
