The Upcoming Darth Vader VR STAR WARS Experience Will Apparently Make You Cry
Over the weekend at Star Wars Celebration we learned that screenwriter David Goyer (The Dark Knight Trilogy) is working on developing a Darth Vader project with Industrial Light & Magic’s ILMxLAB. It was initially described as being a story-based experience that will revolve around the legendary Sith Lord. Goyer explained:
“When we looked at all the characters, places, and worlds in the Star Wars universe available to us, we asked ourselves, ‘What haven’t we seen before? Who are we curious about?’ Darth Vader is the perfect ambassador to usher us into theStar Wars VR universe.”
Thanks to /Film, we now have more details on this project. According to Lucasfilm writer Pablo Hidalgo, this Darth Vader VR is going to be an emotional experience. So much so that it will apparently make you cry. Hidalgo says:
"What we’re working on right now, is a way to get in your hands an original Star Wars story that can only be told through Virtual Reality. And it will be exclusive and cinematic in that realm."
Goyer then explains that this Darth Vader project is not a game and shares some thoughts about what the experience will be like for us:
"I’ve worked in games, in first person shooters, and [with this] no, you’re not a player. This is not a game. This thing we’re working on, you’re not a player. You are the visitor in this story, happening in and around you, which to a certain extent, you may have some affect on.
"We’re doing these builds, these proof of concepts. And the difference between cinema, television and VR especially at the fidelity that this team is doing it, is you really feel like you’re there. The sense of presence, and its not just a buzz-word, when you guys get to experience it you will feel like you’re there."
That sounds like it could be really freakin' cool. There's a future with VR entertainment, we just don't really know how far it will actually go. Goyer goes on to talk about how the experience will play with your emotions of sadness and fear:
"It’s surprisingly very emotional. It can make you sad. It can make you lean in and feel for a character in a way you haven’t before. In a way you really can’t do in any other medium, in books, in film… And it can scare you, trust me, in a way you’ve never been scared before. It’s experiential storytelling and there’s the plot but its surprising how much you feel and how emotional it is. Even as we’re experimenting with it, there is stuff that makes you tear up and cry, and its really phenomenal."
I can't wait to give this thing a try! It sounds like it's going to be an incredible experience. I'm really curious to see what story they plan on telling about Darth Vader that will be so emotional. I hope this VR technology is successful because it could be a whole new crazy way of experiencing movies.