The long-awaited Goosebumps movie hits the big screen in less than one month, and along with the film's theatrical release, eleven cities will also be treated to the Goosebumps Virtual Reality Adventure that puts fans in R.L. Stine's shoes as he evades the hungry praying mantis from A Shocker on Shock Street.
Press Release: "CULVER CITY, Calif., Sept. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of the worldwide release of Goosebumps, in theaters October 16, 2015, moviegoers can put themselves inside an action-packed scene from the movie in a virtual reality adventure with immersive motion by D-BOX with the Goosebumps Virtual Reality Adventure. In eleven cities over four weekends, Goosebumps fans can buckle up for adventure as Jack Black, playing famed Goosebumps author R.L. Stine, takes them on an unforgettable journey through town, just after his creatures have escaped from their manuscripts.
In the one-of-a-kind promotional event, moviegoers will put on virtual reality goggles and climb into a D-BOX immersive motion-activated chair to experience being inside a scene from the movie. In the experience, which is inspired by a scene in the film itself,Jack Black, playing Stine, drives through town, trying to escape one of his creations, the Praying Mantis. With the motion of the D-BOX chair precisely synced to action, Black directs viewers to look around and experience the world of Goosebumps, as if they were inside the film itself. The experience was directed by Rob Letterman, the director of Goosebumps.
The Goosebumps Virtual Reality Adventure will be available for four weekends, Saturdays and Sundays between September 26 and October 18, in the following markets:
New York
Los Angeles
Dallas
Chicago
Miami
San Jose
Cleveland
Washington
Albuquerque
Toronto
Salt Lake CityMoviegoers can visit www.Goosebumps-Movie.com for local theater location information. The experience will be available in select international cities at future dates, tied to the film's release.
Sony partnered with the globally renowned creative studio and VFX powerhouse MPC to shoot and produce the VR content.
Commenting on the announcement, Elias Plishner, executive vice president, Digital Marketing for Sony Pictures said, "Goosebumps is a fun, immersive movie, and this promotional experience is going to put moviegoers inside the film itself. We're always looking for ways to create engagement, and it was great to see Rob and Jack take the existing scene and re-shoot it for virtual reality. They were completely game."
Jake Zim, senior vice president, Digital Marketing, added, "The world of Goosebumps lends itself perfectly to VR, and merging the D-BOX motion chair with virtual reality takes this experience to the next level. You're going to feel immersed in the movie – it's a virtual reality adventure ride right there in the theater lobby."
Michel Paquette, VP Marketing, D-BOX added, "As the world leader and inventor of immersive motion for cinematic art, we are very pleased to see that the credibility in creating subtle and intelligent motion is adding embodied spectator participation to the storytelling. We're always looking for ways to expand the moviegoing experience, which is why we jumped at the chance to team up with the studio for this unique event. We truly feel that the Goosebumps Virtual Reality Adventure elevates the viewer's movie experience by combining VR with credible physical reality only available through the D-BOX chair. With the immersive motion of that chair specifically programmed and synced to the VR images playing in the goggles, you're going to feel like you're right there in the car with Jack Black, trying to escape the Praying Mantis."
In addition to and separate from the Goosebumps Virtual Reality Adventure, moviegoers will be invited to experience the theatrical filmGoosebumps in one of the thousands of D-BOX seats installed in theaters upon the film's release.
About "Goosebumps"
Scholastic has over 400 million Goosebumps books worldwide in 32 languages in print since the series introduction in 1992, earning critical acclaim and dominating global best seller lists. R.L. Stine has been recognized as one of the bestselling children's authors in history. Now, the literary phenomenon is coming to the big screen. In Goosebumps, teenager Zach Cooper (Dylan Minnette), upset about moving from a big city to a small town, finds a silver lining when he meets the beautiful girl, Hannah (Odeya Rush), living right next door, and makes a quick friend in Champ (Ryan Lee). But every silver lining has a cloud, and Zach's comes when he learns that Hannah's mysterious dad is in fact R.L. Stine (Jack Black), the author of the bestselling Goosebumps series. As Zach starts learning about the strange family next door, he soon discovers that Stine holds a dangerous secret: the creatures that his stories made famous are real, and Stine protects his readers by keeping them locked up in their books. When Stine's creations are unintentionally released from their manuscripts, Zach's life takes a turn for the weird. In a crazy night of adventure, it's up to Zach, Hannah, Champ, and Stine to team up and get all of these figments of Stine's imagination – including Slappy the Dummy, the girl with the haunted mask, the gnomes and many more – back in the books where they belong to save the town. Directed by Rob Letterman, the screenplay is byDarren Lemke with a story by Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski, based on the Goosebumps book series published by Scholastic and written by R.L. Stine. The film is produced by Deborah Forte and Neal H. Moritz.About Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com.About D-BOX
D-BOX Technologies Inc. (DBO.TO) designs, manufactures and commercializes cutting-edge motion systems intended for the entertainment and simulation & training markets. This unique and patented technology uses motion effects specifically programmed for each visual content which are sent to a motion system integrated into either a platform, a seat and many other product. The resulting motion is perfectly synchronized with the on-screen action, thus creating an unparalleled realistic immersive experience."