Experience the incredibly graphic birth of a Neomorph alien in this now available 360-degree video.
With Ridley Scott’s highly-anticipated Alien prequel/Prometheus sequel Alien: Covenant merely a week away from release, Fox is naturally going through great lengths to promote its latest addition to the infamous sci-fi thriller franchise. And what better way to go about it than to let fans experience the unbelievably gory birth of the films monstrous new creature in a white-knuckle 360-degree experience?
Just based off the title alone you can tell going in that this is going to be a rough two minutes and forty-one seconds. Alien: Covenant | “In Utero” drops you into a terrifying CGI recreation of what I imagine to be one of the films bloodiest moments. Users step into the “shoes” of the brand new “Neomorph” alien right at the moment of its horrific birth. While Alien fans know all-too-well the painful chest-bursting emergence of the iconic Xenomorph, even die-hard veterans of the franchise should be pleasantly surprised by the unique style of labor that comes with the Neomorph. You can actually catch a quick glimpse of the hard-to-watch sequence during one of the films trailer, although I recommend going into the experience completely blind.
FoxNext, the video game and theme park division of Fox responsible for the 360-degree short, used CGI assets directly from the films production which were provided by Technicolor-owned VFX house MPC and produced in partnership with RSA Films, the production shingle of Ridley Scott, director of the original Alien, the 2012 prequel Prometheus and Alien: Covenant.
“For me, it was about giving the audience an element of wish fulfillment,” said David Karlak, director of In Utero. “Previously, we’ve always been on the receiving end of [the] violence.”
Along with partnering with AMD, FoxNext has also announced plans which involve AMD teaming up with computer manufacturer Alienware and Oculus to bring In Utero to 15 Regal Cinema locations.
The horrifying experience was initially available via Empire Magazine’s limited edition Alien: Covenant virtual reality issue released on Alien Day, April 26th (a nod to planet LV-426). The 10,000 special edition copies featured an additional in-world scene that never appears in the film as well as a cardboard VR headset for use with a smartphone.
Fox has experimented with virtual reality in the past ala a 360-degree experience promoting the 2015 film Wild, starring Reese Witherspoon and a $9.99 VR experience for Scott’s film The Martian. In Utero however marks the first official release from FoxNext which first launched back in January earlier this year. The newly-formed studio plans on releasing 2-4 full virtual reality experiences each year.
Alien: Covenant stars an all-star cast including Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup and Danny McBride just to name a few. The film hits theatres May 19th and is rated ‘R’ (duh).
