Baobab Studios is testing the waters of VR animation with its short films, Invasion! and Asteroids!. Now The Virtual Reality Company is adding its own experiments to the mix with Raising A Rukus.
Announced by the Los Angeles-based studio today, Raising A Rukus is to be a fully animated VR adventure series aimed at families. It aims to take full advantage of VR as it brings viewers to other worlds which they’ll explore alongside a brother and sister that are accompanied by their pet dog, Rukus. The series aims to both provide entertainment and be educational for younger viewers.
This won’t be a simple linear experience, however. Episodes will feature branching narratives that allow viewers to see the story from different angles, giving them something new to see every time they watch it. In their own way, each episodes will have multiple episodes within them.
The series will be produced by Robert Stromberg, the Oscar-winning director known for his work on 2011’s Alice in Wonderland and 2009’s Avatar, as well as his Disney directional debut with 2014’s Maleficent. You may recall that he already worked with Oculus’ own VR division, Story Studio. The Virtual Realiy Company itself, meanwhile, has worked on several VR experiences including the recent app based on Ridley Scott’s The Martian.
All we have to go on right now is the artwork above. The series will be available on a variety of VR headsets both in the home and at certain locations. The first episode will be running in cinemas this spring and is expected to be revealed in full over the next few weeks.
