Robert Simonds' STXsurreal Partners With Academy Award-Winning Visual Effects Company DNEG To Co-Finance Slate Of Original Short-Form VR Series
First Series in the Slate, THE LIMIT, from Director Robert Rodriguez is set to premiere on STX's Surreal VR App Launching in Summer 2018
BURBANK, California, April 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- STXsurreal, the VR and immersive content division of Robert Simonds' STX Entertainment, today announced that DNEG, fresh off of its fourth Academy Award win for visual effects, will partner to co-finance STX's upcoming slate of premium, original, short-form VR series. As part of the deal, DNEG will exclusively provide STXsurreal post-production VFX and 3D conversion services on a minimum of six projects. The slate will premiere on STX's previously announced pay-per-experience VR channel "SURREAL," launching as an app on VR headsets in Summer 2018.
"With the SURREAL channel, STX is revolutionizing what it means to create premium, original, narrative VR content," said Rick Rey and Andy Vick, Co- Presidents of STXsurreal. "By partnering with DNEG, and utilizing their Oscar-winning visual effects expertise, we're doubling down on our promise to bring audiences a truly cinematic and high-quality immersive experience featuring the most sought-after writers, directors and stars in the world today."
STXsurreal's slate of original VR programming is being produced in a completely new format that bridges the gap between traditional widescreen and 360-degree video. The channel will kick off with THE LIMIT, a live-action, short-form virtual reality series from award-winning filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and starring actress Michelle Rodriguez. Additionally, the company recently announced several new original short-form series in development, including a new comedy series from 'The Office' star Ed Helms, an untitled Dave Bautista action-comedy, a spinoff of STX's 'Mile 22' film franchise from director Peter Berg, a 'Jay and Silent Bob' project from writer and director Kevin Smith, and a Sci-fi-thriller from 'John Wick' writer Derek Kolstad.
"We're incredibly excited to be partnering with STXsurreal to create this revolutionary new narrative VR content," said Matt Holben, CEO, DNEG. "The combination of visionary filmmaking talent like Robert Rodriguez, STXsurreal's ambition and expertise in the VR and immersive content space and DNEG's creative pedigree and experience in visual effects makes for a dynamic collaborative partnership that is producing some truly outstanding premium VR content."
About STXsurreal
STXsurreal is the VR and immersive content division of STX Entertainment, a global, next-generation media company whose mission is to unlock the value of the direct connection stars have with their fans through the development, financing, production, marketing and distribution of film, television, VR, digital video, music and live entertainment content. It is the industry leader in transforming beyond traditional platform-driven content to creating talent-driven enterprises.
The company is led by accomplished businessman Robert Simonds and was co-founded by Bill McGlashan, managing partner of the leading global private investment firm TPG. Other investors include Hony Capital, a leading private equity firm in China; PCCW, Southeast Asia's largest Internet and cable services provider; Tencent Holdings, China's leading provider of online products and services; Liberty Global, the world's largest international television and broadband company; Dominic Ng, chairman of East West Bank; DNS Capital (representing the business interests of Gigi Pritzker and her immediate family); and Beau Wrigley, former chairman and CEO of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, among others. With these strategic relationships, the company is uniquely positioned to maximize the impact of content worldwide, with direct passage into the China market.
For more information, please visit http://www.stxentertainment.com.
About DNEG
DNEG is one of the world's leading providers of visual effects and animation for feature film and television, with facilities in London, Vancouver, Montréal, Los Angeles, Mumbai and Chennai in India.
DNEG's creative drive and close collaborative working relationship with filmmakers ensures that the projects that it collaborates on, both large and small, all receive the same high standards of creative and technical service.
This has proven to be a winning approach, resulting in the company winning Academy Awards® for its work on 'Inception', 'Interstellar', 'Ex Machina' and 'Blade Runner 2049', BAFTA's for 'Inception', 'Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2', 'Interstellar' and 'Blade Runner 2049', and Visual Effects Society awards for 'Inception', 'Sherlock Holmes', 'Interstellar', 'Dunkirk' and 'Blade Runner 2049'.
Projects currently in production at DNEG include 'Avengers: Infinity War', 'Deadpool 2', 'Mission Impossible – Fallout', 'Ant-Man and the Wasp', 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald', 'The New Mutants', 'First Man', 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters', 'The Kid Who Would Be King' and 'Venom'.
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