ILM Reveals “National Geographic: Beyond” and “Disney Immersive Cinema” Experiences for Meta VR Glasses

Industrial Light & Magic is developing new immersive experiences for Meta VR Glasses.

What’s Happening:

• At Meta Connect 2026, ILM announced National Geographic: Beyond and Disney Immersive Cinema by ILM.
• These experiences are currently in development for Meta VR Glasses, Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S.
• According to ILM, these experiences speak to the company's efforts to use emerging technolgies as storytelling platforms, bringing audiences new ways to engage with worlds and characters.

National Geographic: Beyond

• Created by ILM in collaboration with National Geographic, National Geographic: Beyond combines immersive technology with storytelling designed to bring audiences closer to wildlife and the natural world.
• The experience features real stereoscopic 180-degree footage captured on location in Africa specifically for Meta devices.
• It will place viewers face-to-face with animals and landscapes.
• National Geographic: Beyond will also explore other forms of immersive storytelling, offering additional ways to experience some of Africa’s greatest landscapes and wildlife.
• Further details will be announced at a later date.

Disney Immersive Cinema by ILM

• Disney Immersive Cinema by ILM is being developed as a hub for VR-enhanced versions of feature films.
• ILM’s enhanced cinema technology allows elements from key scenes to expand beyond the boundaries of the screen and into the viewer’s surroundings.
• The movie remains at the center of the experience, with spatial enhancements designed to deepen immersion and strengthen the viewer’s emotional connection to the story.
• One of the first films featured in Disney Immersive Cinema by ILM will be the classic Star Wars: A New Hope.
• Another favorite to be featured in Disney Immersive Cinema by ILM will be Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War.
• Audiences will be able to watch the film (with the core film remaining the centerpiece) while immersive environmental effects expand beyond the boundaries of the screen.

What They’re Saying:

• Shereif Fattouh, Executive Producer at ILM: “Both experiences reflect our belief that the future of entertainment is about crafting a new canvas for storytelling that allows creators to immerse the audience in ways never before possible. With Meta VR Glasses, we can bring fans closer to real places, beloved characters, and iconic moments that are authentic to the filmmakers’ vision.”