Anything Star Wars related tends to be big news, so today, location-based virtual reality (VR) specialist The VOID has revealed a major announcement. In partnership with Lucasfilm and ILMxLAB, the company has unveiled Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire, an immersive experience that’ll feature at The VOID’s two new experience centres in the US.
These two centres will be located at Downtown Disney at Disneyland Resort and Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort, opening this holiday season.
ILMxLAB, created the experience, in collaboration with The VOID, putting guests directly into the iconic Star Wars galaxy. Using The VOID’s own custom built, untethered VR system – as used in the Ghostbusters: Dimensions experience – attendees will be able move freely throughout the multi-sensory experience as they interact and engage with friends, family and Star Wars characters.
“At The VOID, we combine the magic of illusions, advanced technology and virtual reality to create fully immersive social experiences that take guests to new worlds, said Curtis Hickman, co-founder and chief creative officer at The VOID in a statement. A truly transformative experience is so much more than what you see with your eyes; it’s what you hear, feel, touch, and even smell. Through the power of The VOID, guests who step into Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire won’t just see this world, they’ll know that they are part of this amazing story.”
“At ILMxLAB, we want people to step inside the worlds of our stories, explained Vicki Dobbs Beck, executive in charge of the division. Through our collaboration with The VOID, we can make this happen as guests become active participants in an unfolding Star Wars adventure. By combining Lucasfilm’s storytelling expertise with cutting-edge imagery, and immersive sound from the team at Skywalker Sound, while invoking all the senses, we hope to truly transport all those who experience Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire to a galaxy far, far away.”
As the company continues its expansion, earlier this year The VOID appointed former Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic CTO, Cliff Plumer, as CEO. While in July it joined the Disney Accelerator Program.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of The VOID, reporting back with the latest announcements.