The new VR division has partnered up with Chris Milk’s Within to bring this film to a headset near you.
Just a day after 21st Century Fox unveiled their new FoxNext immersive entertainment division, the film studio has announced a partnership with Within to bring us a new slate of VR experiences this year based on the Planet of the Apes franchise.
The VR project centers around 21st Century Fox’s science fiction franchise Planet of the Apes and is directed and produced by Within Founder and CEO Chris Milk. The project will utilize artificial intelligence to deliver a shared social experience that will be available on the Within app and across VR and AR platforms according to a news release. 21st Century Fox happens to also be an investor in Within.
“Virtual reality is the next generation of entertainment and Planet of the Apes provides the perfect canvas to create a new kind of filmmaking experience that will further immerse fans into the franchise,” said Salil Mehta, President, FoxNext. “In partnership with visionary filmmakers like Chris, and companies like Within, Fox will continue to push the envelope to create immersive experiences that bring audiences into the action like never before.”
In addition to the newly announced Planet of the Apes VR project, Within and FoxNext are also working together with Annapurna Pictures on an original VR film “I Remember You” (working title). As part of the deal, Milk will produce and direct the film, which was developed alongside award-winning director Spike Jonze. Annapurna Pictures Founder Megan Ellison will co-produce the film with Jonze and Milk. The project will also be available through Within.
Annapurna Pictures has worked with Within over the years on VR experiences such as “Evolution of Verse“. The VR division of Annapurna has also completed work on the VR title “The Click Effect,” and the upcoming “Life of Us,” set to premiere at Sundance, as well as Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Protectors” for National Geographic, which will also be released on the Within app in 2017.
“VR provides a unique opportunity to expose and explore the boundaries of technology and personal expression,” said Milk, “We’re confident that the opportunities of bringing narrative, plot-driven VR experiences to the mainstream outweigh the challenges. These two projects couldn’t be any more different in how we’re building them, or the end result. That’s what’s exciting about this new medium though, there is no one right answer.”
The FoxNext and Within VR Experience for Planet of the Apes is independent of the previously announced collaboration between Fox and Imaginati Studios.
Both VR projects are not available just yet, but you’ll be able to download Within to experience both projects when they become available.
