20th Century Fox is hopping on the virtual reality train, introducing a VR spin-off from "The Martian" at the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas. Virtual reality technology is still in its infancy but the studio is gearing up just the same to make sure it has content ready in case VR goggles, like the ones HTC and Oculus are launching during CES, catch on.
Called "The Martian VR Experience," the spin-off lets viewers step into the shoes of Matt Damon as astronaut Mark Watney and explore the Red Planet. It's typical for VR headsets to place the user in an environment with a 360-degree view but the "Martian VR" will also include a first-person narrative as a guide. Running for 20 to 30 minutes, the viewer goes around Mars doing certain tasks to survive, like preparing for a liftoff or driving a rover. Footage from the film will also be included to help the story along.
There is no word yet on how much the "Martian VR" will cost but it will be made available for download through content sites. According to Fox Home Entertainment president Mike Dunn, the technology needs to be commercialized so that it will be around for the next 25 years, with viewers reliving VR experiences again and again.
The project, directed by Robert Stromberg and produced by Ridley Scott, involved around 20 animators and was in production for seven months.
Stromberg said it was interesting to bring a new medium to life but there are still kinks to be worked out, such as improving clarity.
For Stromberg, "Martian VR" was guided by the movie it was based on. He said one of the goals was to accurately portray emotions, conveying not just the fear and danger of being stranded on Mars but also the fun that can be had while using VR technology.
Aside from "The Martian," Fox is also tapping into its television lineup for another VR project in 2016, as well as a second movie. However, while it has already dipped its toes in the new medium, the studio is still choosing to be somewhat conservative about investing in virtual reality, first taking a step back to see if VR technology will truly pick up.
