Star Wars: A New Reality

On April 24th, 2017 an announcement was made that Disney and the Star Wars franchise are going to partner with Nokia to bring Star Wars content to virtual reality.  This is only one example of Hollywood's recent move into bringing people virtual reality content. With this Star Wars content viewers will be able to visit the sets and go behind the scene of the new and upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi film, as well as visiting the fictional locations the story is based in. They will be able to traverse the Star Wars universe in VR and that is exciting.

"Utilizing the Nokia OZO to capture our behind-the-scenes material allows viewers to be transported to fantastical locations and virtually visit the incredible sets where their favorite Star Wars scenes were captured," said Lucasfilm's senior vice president of franchise creative and strategy, Brian Miller, in a statement (Mashable). 

This actually isn't Disney's first venture into the realm of virtual reality. They have been recently partnering with Nokia using the 360-degree Ozo virtual reality camera. This new camera is revolutionary for filmmakers and allows them to make 360 degree virtual environments for viewers. They have used this before with Disney's live action remake of The Jungle Book, recording a round table interview with the directors and cast in which the viewer felt as if they were at the table with them. Now they are shooting to get premium content for their newest and biggest franchises Star Wars and Marvel. 

This is amazing news for geeks all over the world, including myself, who have grown up loving the Star Wars universe. Soon we will be able to soar through space with Tie Fighters and X-wings in virtual reality. Soon we will be able to feel like an innocent civilian in the middle of a huge battle with the Avengers, and this is only the beginning. Virtual Reality is an amazing new tech with endless possibilities, and the future is exciting!