The first full Justice League trailer hit this weekend, sending the internet into a frenzy for both better and worse. These days no Hollywood blockbuster is complete without a promotional VR experience, though, and Zack Synder’s latest move is no exception.
Warners. Bros announced today that it has partnered with IMAX to create three new VR experiences based on its upcoming movies, the first of which is Justice League, set to debut later this year. Then in 2018 we’ll get another experience based on Aquaman — a solo spin-off of this year’s superhero team up — and a third experience based on an unannounced movie will arrive in 2019.
These experiences will be interactive, but neither company has clarified if they’ll be fully VR games or 360 degree movies. They’re set to be timed exclusives for IMAX’s VR centers, which currently only feature gaming content but do have plans to expand into 360 degree experiences that tie into current releases in theaters in the future. IMAX is even giving filmmakers 360 degree cameras to shoot panoramic experiences for headsets.
We’ve reached out to the company to ask about the nature of these new experiences. A press release refers to them as “premium”, so expect to pay for them once they reached in-home headsets.
IMAX currently has one VR center open in Los Angeles, but plans to expand with new locations in New York City, California, the UK and Shanghai over the coming months. We’ve tested the LA one for ourselves and, while it’s definitely still in the experimental phase, we’re excited for the opportunity it presents in getting people into VR for the first time.
This isn’t the only VR deal Warner Bros. has announced this week; the company also partnered with HTC and will produce content for next year’s Ready Player One on Viveport.
