Penrose Studio have been attempting to push the boundaries on virtual reality (VR) storytelling for several years, trying to bring immersive experiences to the Hollywood mainstream. The studio are taking this a step further by casting renowned actress Alicia Vikander in its latest VR project.
Vikander has been cast as the main character, named Meena, in post-apocalyptic coming-of-age story Arden’s Wake: Tide’s Fall, and she is also acting as an executive producer on the project.
Arden’s Wake: Tide’s Fall is the second instalment of the Arden’s Wake series and will feature the hand-crafted visuals and effects that have become a trademark of the company. The VR experience will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, which is due to begin on Wednesday 18th April, 2018.
“This project is unlike anything I’ve ever done before, and I think virtual and augmented reality are going to be big in Hollywood, as well as entertainment more broadly,” Alicia Vikander shared. “Meena’s character has a special spark, and I was immediately drawn to her when I experienced her in VR. The movie daringly brings up difficult situations while also allowing viewers to get quite close to the characters in such an immersive and emotional experience. I am thrilled to help bring Meena’s character to life.”
“As we continue down our path of creating world-class immersive stories and bringing important issues to the surface, a natural next step for us was to partner with someone like Alicia in our work,” added Eugene Chung, CEO and Founder of Penrose Studios as well as the writer and director of Arden’s Wake: Tide’s Fall. “The added emotion, perspective and texture Alicia adds to the piece is new territory for the studio, as well as for the AR & VR storytelling industry overall. We’re incredibly honored to have Alicia’s partnership in in this journey, and it is inspiring to work with her. As we evolve the way we tell stories in AR & VR, we’re finding more and more ways to make sound and visuals work together to create engaging, human stories in this brand new medium.”
The public launch of Arden’s Wake: Tide’s Fall will be announced at a later date. VRFocus will bring you further news on Penrose Studio’s VR projects as it becomes available.
via Mint VR