Industrial Light & Magic revealed Disney Immersive Cinema by ILM during a Meta showcase event on September 23, 2026, introducing a virtual reality format that places traditional feature films like Star Wars: A New Hope and Avengers: Infinity War into interactive spaces. The platform combines unaltered movie presentations with environmental story effects that expand beyond the traditional screen boundaries into the viewer’s room.
Disney Immersive Cinema Brings Star Wars and Marvel to Meta VR
Industrial Light & Magic announced the development of Disney Immersive Cinema during Meta Connect 2026, positioning the platform as a home base for VR-enhanced versions of major motion pictures. According to ILM executive producer Shereif Fattouh, the initiative aims to bring fans closer to real places, beloved characters, and iconic moments while preserving the core visual integrity of the original filmmakers’ vision. The initial software lineup features Star Wars: A New Hope and Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War.
The core viewing experience maintains the original movie unaltered on a virtual screen. However, during key sequences, ILM’s enhanced cinema technology triggers story elements and visual effects that reach past the edges of the frame. This design seeks to create a greater sense of physical presence and deepen the audience’s emotional connection to the film without altering the central narrative structure, as detailed by ILM representatives.
Hardware Compatibility and National Geographic Partnership
Both launch titles are in development for Meta’s upcoming VR Glasses, which were revealed at the same Connect keynote, as well as existing Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S headsets. The new Meta VR Glasses weigh approximately 100 grams, connect via cable to a phone-sized processor and battery puck, and feature IMAX Enhanced certification with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support. They are scheduled to go on sale in spring 2027 for $1,299.99.
Alongside the feature film announcements, ILM also revealed National Geographic: Beyond, a wildlife experience filmed in 3D, 180-degree format on location in Africa. This companion platform utilizes specialized storytelling approaches designed specifically for Meta hardware to place viewers directly inside natural environments rather than observing from a distance.
ILM’s History in Virtual Reality Development
Did you know? Industrial Light & Magic was originally founded by George Lucas in 1975 specifically to create groundbreaking visual effects for the first Star Wars film. The studio’s immersive division, which began as ILMxLAB in 2015, has spent a decade developing virtual and mixed-reality projects for Disney franchises.
The studio’s prior immersive catalog includes Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series in 2019, Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge in 2020, and the mixed-reality podracing experience Star Wars: Beyond Victory released for Quest headsets in October 2025. Additionally, the team contributed to location-based installations like Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire at Disney Springs and attraction design for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
While previous projects functioned primarily as interactive games or narrative adventures, Disney Immersive Cinema marks a shift toward augmenting traditional film viewings. No official release date or pricing details have been announced yet for the immersive film packages, and ILM has not specified how viewers will access the movies through the platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Disney Immersive Cinema by ILM?
It is a new platform developed by Industrial Light & Magic that presents unaltered feature films on a virtual screen while allowing key story elements and visual effects to expand into the viewer’s physical surroundings during specific scenes.
Which movies are launching with the platform?
The initial software lineup includes Star Wars: A New Hope and Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War.
What hardware is required to run these experiences?
The experiences are in development for Meta’s upcoming VR Glasses, as well as Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S headsets that users already own.
Will the original movies be changed in this version?
No, ILM confirmed that the movie itself remains unchanged and serves as the untouched centerpiece of the viewing experience.
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