WBHE Announces Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Virtual Reality Experience!
Ready to see the Wizarding World as you’ve never experienced it before? Step through Newt Scamander’s case and explore the spectacular world of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in an expanded breathtaking cinematic virtual reality experience available for purchase on January 23 on major VR platforms.
Based on Warner Bros.’ 2016 film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Virtual Reality Experience allows users to meet and interact with six magical beasts, complete spells, explore Newt’s shed, create potions, and immerse themselves in the magic like never before, all while guided by Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) himself. This version of the previously released limited VR experience will allow fans to return to the Wizarding World for a more robust and expanded experience, featuring three new beasts including the fan favorite Niffler, as well as the Occamy and Bowtruckles. These join the previously available Thunderbird, Erumpent and Graphorn. Fans can also participate in more magical spells as they interact with each of Newt’s fantastic creatures. Additionally, the experience includes a deleted scene and 360 degree behind–the-scenes footage that takes fans onto the set and into the movie making process.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Virtual Reality Experience will be available for purchase on major VR platforms beginning January 23. The home-based VR experience will support controllers, spatial tracking and room scale tracking, depending on the platform. The mobile experience (Samsung Gear, Google Daydream) will be available for purchase for $4.99, and the room scale/immersive experience (Oculus, HTC Vive) will be available for purchase for $9.99. The experience will be available in six audio languages, including English, Latin Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Mandarin Chinese.
ABOUT THE FILM
There are growing dangers in the wizarding world of 1926 New York. Something mysterious is leaving a path of destruction in the streets, threatening to expose the wizarding community to the No-Majs (American for Muggles), including the Second Salemers, a fanatical faction bent on eradicating them. And the powerful, dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, after wreaking havoc in Europe, has slipped away…and is now nowhere to be found.
Unaware of the rising tensions, Newt Scamander arrives in the city nearing the end of a global excursion to research and rescue magical creatures, some of which are safeguarded in the magical hidden dimensions of his deceptively nondescript leather case. But potential disaster strikes when unsuspecting No-Maj Jacob Kowalski inadvertently lets some of Newt’s beasts loose in a city already on edge—a serious breach of the Statute of Secrecy that former Auror Tina Goldstein jumps on, seeing her chance to regain her post as an investigator. However, things take an ominous turn when Percival Graves, the enigmatic Director of Magical Security at MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), casts his suspicions on both Newt and Tina.
Now allied, Newt and Tina, together with Tina’s sister, Queenie, and their new No-Maj friend, Jacob, form a band of unlikely heroes, who must recover Newt’s missing beasts before they come to harm. But the stakes are higher than these four outsiders—now branded fugitives—ever imagined, as their mission puts them on a collision course with dark forces that could push the wizarding and No-Maj worlds to the brink of war.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them takes us to a new era of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World, decades before Harry Potter and half a world away. Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything, The Danish Girl) stars in the central role of Magizoologist Newt Scamander, under the direction of David Yates, who helmed the last four “Harry Potter” blockbusters.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them also stars Katherine Waterston (Steve Jobs, Inherent Vice) as Tina, Tony Award winner Dan Fogler (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) as Jacob, Alison Sudol (Transparent) as Tina’s sister, Queenie, Ezra Miller (Trainwreck, upcoming Justice League) as Credence, two-time Oscar nominee Samantha Morton (In America, Sweet and Lowdown) as Mary Lou Barebone, Oscar winner Jon Voight (Coming Home, TV’s Ray Donovan) as Henry Shaw, Sr., Carmen Ejogo (Selma) as Seraphina Picquery, and Colin Farrell (Saving Mr. Banks, TV’s True Detective) as Percival Graves.
The film mark the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, whose seven beloved Harry Potter books were adapted into one of the highest grossing film franchises of all time. Her script was inspired by the Hogwarts textbook “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” written by her character Newt Scamander.
In addition to David Yates, the film reunited a number of people from the Harry Potter features, including producers David Heyman, J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves and Lionel Wigram. Tim Lewis, Neil Blair and Rick Senat served as executive producers.
THE CREDITS
About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment’s home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees.
PUBLICITY CONTACTS
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Stuart Herriott, 818/977/2712
Stuart.Herriott@warnerbros.com
Alyssa Some, 818/877/0074
Alyssa.Some@warnerbros.com
