EXCLUSIVE: A supergroup by any other name: Natasha Lyonne, Evan Ross and Sean Lennon have banded together to form indie studio Ariadne. Hitting the ground and the Croisette running, the first project from the new endeavor is transhumanism docuseries Vitruvian Scumbag, which started filming last month.
With a moniker drawn from Greek mythology, the trio intends for Ariadne to be a revenue-sharing hub for creators to navigate IP, wellness tech, production, distribution and the digital economy pipeline.
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“It seems the future will be in the hands of those creators who can retain IP ownership against the odds by returning to the fine art of being present,” Lyonne told Deadline today. “The goal of Ariadne as a collective is to create systems where creators can participate economically in the value they help generate while also building actual support structures around recovery, sustainability and longevity. The entertainment industry is not alone in having spent decades optimizing output without properly supporting the humans making the work.”
With Oscar winner Lennon and Ross’ House of Ross shingle steering the ship algonside Russian Doll co-creator and Poker Face star Lyonne, Ariadne has substantial financial backing from media and tech investors. Building on its principals’ longterm pro-relationships collective, Ariadne’s brain trust includes Lilly Wachowski, Rustic Canyon, Jana Bezek, Lana Kim, Tiffany Haddish, Lina Malaika, Turner Turner, Mona Ibrahim, Elena Ora, Carlos Nazario and Sarah Sarandos, I hear.
Having kicked off shooting in April, initial Ariadne project Vitruvian Scumbag appears to toss all the best of those founders and advisors’ strengths together to examine what it means to be alive in the tech-dominated West of the 21st century.
“Hopefully sharing my journey helps someone else,” Lyonne declared of the docuseries from her, Lennon and Ross. “I’ve seen the talking points boasting a host of foregone conclusions around futurism, that only reinforced an instinct to get boots to the ground,” she adds. “No human being should be swept under the corporate rug of inconvenience or live in abject terror of technological replacement. This new docuseries has been an invigorating deep dive; it’s raw and real and asks the big questions — which are the fun ones.”
Featuring a PhD panel of neuroscientists and techheads, the partially-set Vitruvian Scumbag additionally talks to the likes of Megan Thee Stallion, Fred Armisen, VR pioneer Jaron Lanier and others on modern life, health and wealth.
Adding to her upcoming role on Season 3 of HBO’s Euphoria and in the Jenna Ortega and Amy Adams-fronted Klara and the Sun from Taika Waititi, CAA-repped Lyonne’s hefty dance card with Ariadne and Vitruvian Scumbag comes after overseeing the formation of AI copyright protecting studio, Asteria, and being a founding member of the Creator’s Coalition on AI over the past few months.
Then there’s her burgeoning Animal Pictures slate of the Paul Giamatti co-starring Only Apparently Real, from director Alex Buono; the Tribeca premiering ChickaBOOM!, with Yara Shahidi and Daveed Diggs; the Lyonne and Brit Marling co-created, Uncanny Valley (with tech guru Lanier); a Joan Rivers pic; plus the Lyonne-penned and helmed Bambo.
(L-R) Sean Ono Lennon; Evan Ross
Film Mafia Entertainment CEO Ross just wrapped up starring in Sean McEwan’s indie dramedy Turnbuckle with Emile Hirsch, Kate Beckinsale, Terrence Howard, Cara Delevingne and Famke Janssen. Starring as Angel Rivera in Seasons 2 and 3 of Lee Daniels and Tom Donaghy’s Star, the Artist & Brand Management-repped Hunger Games vet showed up this year on The Masked Singer as audience fave Stingray.
In a Cannes-adjacent stance, WME-repped Lennon gave his blessing to the use of enhancing AI for the Steven Soderbergh-crafted John Lennon: The Last Interview. A 2024 Best Animated Short Film Academy Award winner as EP for War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko, Lennon also served as an EP and music producer on the One to One: John & Yoko concert documentary from directors Kevin Macdonald and Sam Rice-Edwards. The solo artist, film score composer, producer and The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger co-founder showed up as a guest star in Season 1 of Peacock’s Lyonne-led Poker Face.
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