Ridley Scott’s sci-fi adventure “The Martian” transported moviegoers to the Red Planet in 2015, and now, thanks to virtual reality technology, fans will get a chance to play a more hands-on role in the exploits of astronaut Mark Watney.
This week at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, 20th Century Fox is unveiling “The Martian VR Experience,” an immersive, 30-minute film from the studio’s Innovation Lab. Viewers using VR goggles and joysticks will be able to see what Watney sees and interact in ways that help the Matt Damon character perform tasks and survive on Mars.
“VR Experience” was directed by Robert Stromberg, who won Academy Awards for art direction for his work on “Avatar” and “Alice in Wonderland.” He told told USA Today that what’s really great about VR is that it “brings dreams to life” by transporting people through new and unique experiences.
“We wanted to portray the film in an authentic way,” Stromberg told Re/code. “The story was there, but we had to figure out how to condense it and figure out how to make it immersive and interactive.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, the film will be made available for a price yet to be determined on the upcoming Oculus Rift headset and then later on Sony PlayStation and HTC Vive equipment.
