Lionsgate has today announced that it is to test the waters of virtual reality technology with a new experience based around its latest release, Nerve.
The film producer and distributer has revealed that it has partnered with SilVR Thread to create and release a brand new VR experience named Nerve – Do You Dare. As the name suggests, the app will have viewers attempting three terrifying ‘dares’. That includes crossing a ladder placed between two tall buildings, and taking on a high-speed skateboard ride by hitching yourself to a police car. The experience was created with a mix of computer generated imagery and live action 360 degree footage to create a convincing piece.
You can see one of the actions in the 360 video above. It certainly seems to be a more considered piece than your average promotional experience.
Nerve itself is in cinemas now and is directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman. This new thriller tells the story of a high school senior named Vee Delmonico (Emma Roberts), who is pressured into joining an online game that gets its players to perform dares like dangerous stunts or socially awkward actions. It’s not long before she meets another player (Dave Franco) and the two quickly go from having fun to becoming entangled in a much bigger plot as they start to uncover how deep the game’s connections go.
The concept behind the app is that you are one of these players in the game. David Edwards, VP of Digital Marketing at Lionsgate said that the experience was designed to immerse fans in the world of the new movie. It’s available to download this weekend for Gear VR and Google Cardboard via the Oculus Home and Android and iOS stores respectively. We’re not sure if it could come to other headsets but all off the assets for the piece seem to have been captured with the HTC Vive, so it’s certainly possible.
Earlier in the year Lionsgate also revealed a partnership with Valve to bring hundreds of movies to the HTC Vive.
