Sci-Fi Franchise ‘Kri8 Universe’ Launches at Toronto Market (EXCLUSIVE)

“Kri8 Universe,” a five-world science-fiction IP ecosystem from production designer and filmmaker Uzair Merchant, will launch at TIFF: The Market, looking for global licensing, studio and strategic partnerships following 14 years of independent development.

The universe consists of five interconnected worlds — Elixir of Life, Black Rose, the 8th Sin, Skye and Vault X — anchored by 16 original characters and a mythology built to expand across film, television, publishing, music, gaming, digital platforms, artificial intelligence, digital assets and immersive formats.

Merchant has spent nearly two decades working in film and television internationally, contributing to titles such as “Deadpool 2,” “Fast & Furious 7,” “Star Trek Beyond” and “Superman & Lois.” His career has taken him through Hollywood, Bollywood, the Middle East and Asia, and he has picked up more than 40 international honors across film, television, music and emerging media.

The existing “Kri8 Universe” output includes three published books, nine original soundtracks, films, screenplays, music videos and games, along with more than 1.1 million views and more than 30 international awards, according to the company.

Merchant and Gayathiri Guliani co-founded K2 Media Capital, the entertainment platform now steering the “Kri8 Universe” commercial rollout by developing, packaging and financing original IP for markets worldwide. The company is holding discussions with studios, streamers, broadcasters, publishers, gaming and merchandising partners, distributors and technology and investment firms, with options open across licensing, co-productions, publishing, gaming adaptations, distribution and direct investment in the IP.

“What makes ‘Kri8 Universe’ particularly compelling is that it is not an IP concept looking for a business model,” said Guliani. “The world has already been built, the characters, have been developed and the creative ecosystem has been tested across multiple mediums. Our role is to build the commercial pathway around that IP connecting it with the right studios, platforms, investors, licensing partners and global markets. We see ‘Kri8 Universe‘ as a powerful example of how IP can move beyond a single screen or territory. It has the depth to support multiple stories and the flexibility to evolve across formats, languages and geographies. The opportunity now is to identify partners who can help unlock that potential at scale.”

The mythology weaves together AI, genetics and cloning, questions about immortality and consciousness, spiritual and ancient mythic threads, and humanity’s fraught relationship with fast-advancing technology, alongside water scarcity, destiny and identity. Cross-cultural collaboration runs through the project too, with music blending Arabic sounds, hip-hop and Bollywood influences and characters drawing on Arab, Indian and African cultures. The character Musa moves through fractured timelines as a messenger of remembrance, while “3001: A Nafs Odyssey” pairs futuristic Sufi hip-hop with science fiction to trace the seven stages of the soul.

“We’re not walking into the room with an idea for a universe. We’re walking in with the universe,” Merchant said. “The mythology exists. The books exist. The music exists. The characters exist. Fourteen years were spent building and proving these worlds. Now the question is how far they can travel. This is where facts meet myth to create fiction.”

Created through bKREATIV Prods. and the Kreativ Lab, “Kri8 Universe” was independently developed by Merchant.

“For years I was told I was building too much. Now the world calls it an ecosystem,” Merchant said. “‘Kri8 Universe’ was built to allow stories, characters and worlds to evolve across generations and formats. We are now looking for the right partners to take these worlds to global audiences.”