Hollywood Shouldn’t Get to Define Virtual Reality

The burgeoning industry needs big experiments, not just big budgets

If 2016 was the year virtual reality (VR) finally entered the mainstream, then 2017 is the year major Hollywood studios want to cash in. They’re not just making films about VR — like Steven Spielberg’s upcoming Ready Player One, originally scheduled for release in December 2017 (and now scheduled for early 2018) — they’re trying to define its very future. It may have seemed like gaming would dominate and define VR, but more and more signs point to Hollywood getting in on the action.

But does Hollywood have the vision — or the incentive — to help VR reach its full potential? Early experimentations with the technology appeared more like a cynical ploy to sell tickets, using VR to create add-ons and extras to films or TV projects that were already in production. For example, in 2015, Fox Searchlight partnered with Oculus to debut Wild: The Experience, a three-minute, 360-degree VR experience with Wild’s lead actor, Reese Witherspoon.

Two years later, more VR films are getting the Hollywood treatment. Just about every major film festival screens them. This year’s Sundance featured a bevy of highly acclaimed VR films: Life of Us, Out of Exile, Miyubi, and Angelica. The Los Angeles Times has even started to review VR films along with regular films — even though the individual experience of the headset wearer is key to what makes VR films special.