Update 2/10/17: Person of Interest alumna Sarah Shahi has been penned to lead the VR drama pilot.
Writer/Executive Producer Mickey Fisher is bringing one of the hottest technologies of the year to television.
TV is no stranger to virtual reality. The technology has appeared in countless films and television shows over the years from Family Guy and Star Trek, to South Park and most recently Black Mirror. However despite its constant appearance in mainstream entertainment the influential tech has yet to earn its own live-action series dedicated entirely to its possibilities. Well thanks to last years massive rise in VR popularity, one of television’s biggest networks is finally getting in on all the action.
NBC has officially ordered a pilot for a new TV series based around the launch of an advanced virtual reality program that inevitably goes haywire.
Reverie as it’s being called is a dramatic thriller that follows a former detective specializing in human behavior as he investigates the dangerous and unpredictable behavior being exhibited by a new virtual reality system.
Mickey Fisher, whose previous work includes CBS drama Extant starring Halle Berry, will serve as the shows writer as well as Executive Producer alongside Brooklyn Weaver AND Amblin’s Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey. Reverie is produced by Universal Television and Amblin Television. The project was reportedly shopped around the network marketplace, garnering large attention and interest before ultimately landing at NBC.
Justin Falvey (left) and Darryl Frank
While the idea of ‘virtual reality gone wrong’ isn’t exactly a fresh concept (i.e Sword Art Online, Black Mirror, eXistenZ, Log Horizon, etc.) it’s still insanely exciting to see virtual reality finally receive a live action series based in modern-day times. The technology is absolutely bursting with interesting scenarios and possibilities which have the potential to create a truly compelling story. We’ll continue to follow the show intensely and report any interesting developments up until its premiere. Though I have a feeling this isn’t the only VR related show we’ll be talking about in the near future.
Feature Image: Halley Berry in Extant
