In Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Vincent Vega, a hitman played by John Travolta, sips a $5 milkshake and says, “I don’t know if it’s worth $5, but it’s pretty . . . good,” a sentiment many fans of the classic 1994 flick may be echoing now that the Israel-based company SCRT Labs announced Monday that an NFT (non-fungible token) comprised of a handwritten scene from Tarantino’s original screenplay has just sold at auction for $1.1 million.
The first of the seven NFTs from the Pulp Fiction script that are being sold on Secret Network, the data privacy platform for Web3 and SCRT Labs, is called “Royale with Cheese.” It features the scene where Travolta and his fellow hitman, played by Samuel L. Jackson, discuss the “little differences” between Europe and the US, notably the fact that in Paris, a McDonald’s quarter pounder is called a “Royale with Cheese.”
The "Royale with Cheese” NFT was purchased by Secret Network's first NFT collective, AnonDAO, a group of investors who bid together, who won the auction out of 200 confirmed bids, including multiple bids in the six- to the seven-figure range.
"As admirers of Quentin Tarantino's iconic filmography, the Anons quickly mobilized to raise the funds necessary to purchase the first NFT in the Tarantino NFTs series," a spokesperson for AnonDAO said.
“This groundbreaking NFT sale represents a monumental moment for our community, Quentin, and the Secret Network,” said Guy Zyskind, founder and CEO of SCRT Labs. “SCRT Labs always has, and always will, stand with artists. With this sale, we’re challenging the status quo by empowering creators, not conglomerates. We’re grateful to the Secret community for trusting us, and we’re excited for what the future holds – not only for the Tarantino collection but for more artists and creators to come.”
In collaboration with SCRT Labs, Tel Aviv resident Tarantino, who is married to Israeli singer Daniella Pick, has turned seven chapters from his Oscar-winning film into what SCRT Labs described as “one-of-a-kind NFT publications.” It specified that each NFT in the collection consists of a single iconic scene, as well as “unique, personalized" audio commentary by Tarantino.
The auctions of the next six chapters will last for 24 hours or until the target price is reached. The remaining chapters will be auctioned on the following dates: Chapter #2, “Pumpkin and Honey Bunny”: January 24; Chapter #3, “Foot Massage”: January 25; Chapter #4, “Check Out the Big Brain on Brett”: January 26; Chapter #5, “Captain Koons Monologue - The Gold Watch”: January 27; Chapter #6, “Bring Out the Gimp”: January 28; and Chapter #7, “Last Scene: Coffee Shop - Ezekiel 25:17”: January 31.
To be eligible for the sale, participants must register at https://tarantinonfts.com/. Registration is now open and participants will have access to all sales. The Tarantino public auction is conducted on Ethereum, while the NFTs are powered by Secret Network.
The winning bids are expected to be in the six- or seven-figure range. If Vincent Vega were to ponder the differences between the digital era and the 1990s, he might think that that $5 shake looks like a bargain.