Game of Thrones: VR & Magic Leap Experiences

In promotion of the final season of Game of Thrones, Framestore partnered with HBO to create two fully immersive fan experiences: “Beyond the Wall,” a virtual reality experience and “The Dead Must Die,” a Magic Leap Encounter. The interactive installations launched for a limited time in three AT&T flagship stores, bringing White Walkers to life in Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco.

Animation

Realtime

angry bear with its paw and claws reaching towards us with an arrow on the left side of its face that is set aflame by a flaming sword

perspective of holding a sword that is aflame while a white walker looking towards you. there are many others faded in the background

Beyond The Wall

Working closely with HBO from concept through to execution, Framestore conceptualised, designed and developed both the digital content and physical components for each experience. Building on two previous VR experiences created for the hit series, “Beyond the Wall” allows fans to test their flaming sword-fighting skills against a massive wight bear and a hoard of White Walkers. Using the HTC Vive, Unreal Engine, and the latest GPU tech from NVIDIA, players are transported to a realistic scene north of The Wall and forced to defend themselves from the undead - with no dragons to help. 4D elements amplify the gamer’s journey, including a motion floor alongside heat, cold and wind effects.

“Our partnership with HBO and Game of Thrones to utilize cutting-edge technology has been a truly remarkable one for Framestore,” said Christine Cattano, Global Head of VR & Executive Producer at Framestore. “We were part of their first foray into VR five years ago with ‘Ascend the Wall,’ and we’ve now worked with them on their first collaboration with Magic Leap. As a fan of the show, I know the standards they demand, and working with both of these platforms has enabled us to create an unparalleled fan experience. I have no doubt other fans are going to be equally thrilled.”

a brick room that has four iron log holders full of wood in each corner of the room. there are two boxes in the centre. one of them is closed. the other is open and has a decaying body in chains that has snapped in half

The Dead Must Die

“The Dead Must Die,” HBO’s first partnership with Magic Leap, combines mixed reality content based on show assets built in the Unity engine, with practical, animatronic set pieces. Players walk onto a set resembling King’s Landing where they are soon ambushed by a wight bursting from a trembling crate, which triggers a head-to-head battle with a White Walker.

"Each experience transforms the world around the participant in a unique expression of the technology used to create it," said Framestore Creative Director David Estis. "While one envelops the player in the frozen waste north of The Wall, the other invites The Army of The Dead right into the retail environment. Both experiences are highly integrated with synchronized scenic elements that blur the line between physical and digital, an aspect that has been very important to the Framestore team from the onset."

Magic Leap Promo with Wieden + Kennedy

In addition to creating The Dead Must Die, Framestore Pictures partnered with Wieden + Kennedy Portland to create a spot promoting the Magic Leap experience. Murray Butler directed the piece, translating the experience into a visceral spot that places at-home viewers in the middle of the encounter.