Bigscreen is partnering with Sony Pictures division Funimation to bring a library of anime movies to its VR-based movie rental service.
That means Akira, Your Name, and My Hero Academia: Two Heroes will be available for rent on a pay-per-view basis in VR as more than 30 films are added to Bigscreen’s library.
In December, Bigscreen launched a movie service with Paramount Pictures with regular showings just like a real movie theater. This week, however, the company revamped the offering to move toward more on-demand rentals at any time, and the occasional one-time special event like for the premiere of a new film.
The Funimation partnership kicks off starting May 1 with a screening of Your Name at 6 pm Pacific for about $4 per admission. On May 8 My Hero Academia: Two Heroes will be screened followed by Akira on May 15, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya on May 21, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time on May 29, Sword of the Stranger on June 5, and I Am A Hero on June 12. Movies will be added to the on-demand rental library within a week after the screening event.
You can watch the movies alone or invite up to seven friends to join them in a theater, according to Bigscreen, but each person pays for their own admission. Bigscreen is a free download on Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, Oculus Go, HTC Vive, Valve Index, and Microsoft Windows Mixed Reality headsets.
You can find the Bigscreen download links for the various stores here and purchase tickets for upcoming films here.
