Virtual anime movie theater to kick off May 1 with special weekend of live film screenings starting with fan favorite, ‘Your Name.’
CULVER CITY – Funimation (a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Television), a global anime content provider, has teamed up with Bigscreen, the virtual reality platform, to offer an ongoing slate of popular anime for the platform’s virtual reality audience. The virtual anime movie theater launches with over 30 movies, from My Hero Academia: Two Heroes to Attack on Titan, with additional new releases and popular titles added throughout the year. To kick off the launch, a special weekend of screenings is programmed, starting May 1, with fan favorite Your Name.
“Anime has never been more popular, and we’re pleased to be working with Bigscreen to bring new releases and classics to their audience,” commented Funimation general manager, Colin Decker. “Anime has always been built around community and shared experiences. Enabling fans to connect through the magic of VR is a natural expression of our commitment to connect fans with the art and culture of Anime through innovative experiences.”
The special live film screenings that begin May 1 are a chance for viewers around the country to co-view the movie in virtual reality. Bigscreen supports infinite concurrent viewers to watch live together in groups of up to 8 people per theater room. The films are broadcast live on a pay-per-view basis at 6PM Pacific (9PM Eastern).
In addition to live events, Bigscreen also has an on-demand movie catalog of hundreds of 2D and 3D movies. After the virtual theatrical screening, films will become available on-demand (VOD). A full list of upcoming screenings and showtimes is available here.
“We are excited to partner with Funimation to host anime film screenings in VR,” added Bigscreen CEO and founder, Darshan Shankar. “Our unique platform enables people to hang out with anime fans from around the world and watch their favorite anime together.”
In Bigscreen's virtual world, users can customize personal avatars, hang out in a virtual lobby, and voice chat with other movie fans. Movies are streamed on screens inside virtual cinemas, providing a social movie watching experience. Users can enjoy films alone or invite up to seven friends to join them in a theater.
Bigscreen can be downloaded for free and runs on the Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, Oculus Go, HTC Vive, Valve Index, all SteamVR headsets, and all Microsoft Windows Mixed Reality headsets.
Upcoming Anime Events on Bigscreen: (Live movie events begin 6PM PST/ 9PM ET)
- May 1: Your Name
- May 8: My Hero Academia: Two Heroes
- May 15: Akira
- May 21: The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya
- May 29: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
- June 5: Sword of the Stranger
- June 12: I Am A Hero
Anime Movies Available for VOD on Bigscreen:
- Your Name
- Planetarian: Storyteller of the Stars
- The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya Movie
- The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
- Steins Gate Movie
- Strike Witches Movie
- Fairy Tail Dragon Cry Movie
- Fairy Tail the Movie: Phoenix Priestess
- Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie
- Akira
- Attack on Titan Part 1
- Attack on Titan Part 2
- Shin Godzilla
- I Am A Hero
- Parasyte Part 1
- Parasyte Part 2
- My Hero Academia: Two Heroes
- Boy and the Beast
- Triguns Badland Rumble
- Death Note: Light Up the New World
- Death Note
- Death Note: The Last Name
- Psycho-Pass: The Movie
- Eden of the East: Air Communication
- Eden of the East: King of Eden
- Eden of the East: Paradise Lost
- Assassination Classroom The Movie: 365 Days' Time
- Garo: Divine Flame
- Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic
- Sword of the Stranger
- The School Idol Movie: Over the Rainbow
Source: Funimation
