from the producer

When we began developing Iron Sky, we discovered the extraordinary power of building an audience long before a film was released. Through social media, crowdfunding, events, and direct engagement, a global community formed around the project years before audiences could actually see the film.

That community exceeded every expectation.

Millions of people around the world knew Iron Sky before its release, creating a level of awareness that few independent films had ever achieved. Unfortunately, the industry wasn't ready for what we had built. Not all, but absolutely too many, film distributors at that time still relied on their own schedules, systems and release dates, and saw no reason to change their traditional approach despite the unprecedented audience demand we had created. At the very moment global interest peaked, Iron Sky was legally available in only a handful of countries. The consequence was almost inevitable: more than 50 million illegal downloads during the first year alone. Despite this, the film still generated over €10 million at the worldwide box office.

Looking back, I don't see this as a failure of the audience. We certainly learned our own lessons along the way, but above all I see it as evidence that the industry wasn't yet equipped to fully benefit from the kind of global community we had built.

Today, that has changed.

Direct-to-consumer platforms, digital distribution, online communities, AI, and blockchain technology make it possible to build long-term relationships with audiences rather than treating them simply as ticket buyers. For the first time, independent creators have realistic tools to finance, market, distribute, and expand an intellectual property together with their community.

Deep Red was born from that realization.

It is not simply another science fiction film. It is an attempt to build a sustainable entertainment franchise where audience engagement begins during development—not after release—and continues throughout the life of the trilogy and beyond.

There are no guarantees in filmmaking. Every film carries creative and commercial risk.

But after more than two decades producing international films, I believe the combination of a compelling original IP, an engaged global audience, and new financing and distribution models creates an opportunity we finally feel ready to pursue.

Iron Sky taught us how to build a global audience. Deep Red is our opportunity to build a business model around it.

I invite you to consider Deep Red Extended founders' Round— Tero KaukomaaProducer, Deep Red