Fans of the Star Wars franchise who did not get their fill of intergalactic battles in the cinematic marvel Star Wars: The Force Awakens, will soon be able to feast their eyes on yet another Star Wars movie — albeit in virtual reality (VR). Did we mention that the VR movie will focus specifically on Darth Vader and be an original story?
That's right! On Saturday, July 16, at an interactive panel for the Star Wars Celebration in Europe, Industrial Light & Magic (ILMxLAB) — which is the immersive entertainment division of Lucasfilm — announced that it was teaming up with writer David Goyer (of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice fame) to steer an original narrative for a VR movie, which has as its lead character the villainous Darth Vader.
Goyer also revealed that when zoning in on which Star Wars character the story would focus, the team felt Darth Vader was the ideal "ambassador" for introducing fans to Star Wars' VR world.
"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?'" noted Goyer in a blog post on the official Star Wars website.
Interestingly, this is not the first VR project from Lucasfilm as it follows Star Wars: Trials of Tatooine, which the company confirmed will release for the HTC Vive on July 18.
However, what sets the impending Star Wars VR movie apart is the fact that the narrative is longer and completely original. At the same time, the movie will not retract from the essence of Star Wars universe, asserted the team's creative executive, Pablo Hidalgo.
According to ILMxLAB, the narrative is "experimental storytelling" and the experience aspires to combine both non-linear and linear storytelling nuances that are interactive and will result in a completely immersive universe.
When will the Star Wars VR movie release?
The availability window for the movie has not been disclosed by the team. Whether all current-gen VR headsets or only top-end models like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift will see the arrival of the VR movie is also not known.
The teaser shared shows the Dark Lord of the Sith, his silhouette looming against a blistering planetscape at night. This hints at Mustafar — the planet Darth Vader was born on. In the background, the voiceover of Emperor Palpatine talks of the "unnatural" capabilities the Dark Side of the Force can unlock.
Are you excited for the Star Wars VR movie?
