Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, and Dreamscape Immersive, the location-based VR entertainment company, backed by some of Hollywood’s heaviest hitters, today announced the opening of Dreamscape’s first international location at Mall of the Emirates on 19 December, 2019.
Speaking on the announcement, Alain Bejjani, Chief Executive Officer at Majid Al Futtaim - Holding, said: “The future of the entertainment industry lies in the hands of those who can enable human interaction through fulfilling, meaningful and memorable experiences. Dreamscape achieves this by blurring the lines between the physical and the virtual, fully immersing its users with other participants who can all influence the experience together.
We are proud to partner with Dreamscape, as we bring another first for Majid Al Futtaim and the region. The Dreamscape experience will delight customers in a way that has never been seen in this part of the world,” added Bejjani.
Following the publicly lauded opening of Dreamscape’s first two locations in Los Angeles and Dallas, its first location outside of the United States will open at Mall of the Emirates. The Dreamscape experience will feature three original and critically-acclaimed free-roaming and epic immersive adventures, Alien Zoo, Curse of the Lost Pearl: A Magic Projector Adventure, The Blu: Deep Rescue, that will promise adventurers of all ages the experience and magic of immersive and full-sensory storytelling as they are transported to fantastic new worlds.
Walter Parkes, Co-founder and Chairman, Dreamscape Immersive, said: “At its heart, Dreamscape is about wish fulfillment. By merging the scope and emotional power of cinema with the pure adrenaline of a theme-park ride -- all within a totally new VR technology – we have created a way for audiences to enter into and become part of the story for the first time. These are experiences that you cannot replicate anywhere else. We are thrilled to be partnering with Majid Al Futtaim in the MENA region to bring our one-of-a-kind venues to new audiences across the region.”
In Alien Zoo, guests will have the opportunity to travel to a larger than life, intergalactic haven where they come face-to-face with endangered alien creatures from across the galaxy. Upon arrival, travelers will experience the exhilaration of being able to play ball with exotic frogcats, pet majestic creatures, and, by working together, even narrowly escape the galaxy's greatest predator.
In The Curse of the Lost Pearl: A Magic Projector Adventure, audiences will be given a fundamental wish fulfillment: to step through the screen and become part of a movie. Once inside this heart-pumping adventure, participants will be challenged to unlock clues, escape treacherous traps, and work together as they discover the secret of The Lost Pearl.
In The Blu: Deep Rescue, Dreamscape’s breathtaking co-production with WeVR, an epic descent into the ocean to explore dazzling underwater worlds and aquatic life soon becomes an urgent mission to rescue a trapped baby Blue Whale and unite it with its mother.
Backed by some of Hollywood's most successful studios and talent, including 21st Century Fox, WarnerMedia, Viacom, Steven Spielberg and Hans Zimmer, Dreamscape Immersive was founded in 2017 by Swiss computer scientists Caecilia Charbonnier, Sylvain Chagué and entrepreneur Ronald Menzel. The company is led by co-chairman, Walter Parkes, producer, screenwriter, and former head of Dreamworks Motion Pictures, co-chairman Kevin Wall, global music events producer and serial entrepreneur, COO Aaron Grosky, and CEO Bruce Vaughn, former Chief Creative Officer of Disney Imagineering.
Majid Al Futtaim continues to focus on a digital and experiential transformation of its business, supported by investments and partnerships that add value to the experiences it offers customers. The launch of Dreamscape Immersive reinforces the company’s ability to merge the physical and digital worlds in order to create enhanced and more valuable experiences for people.
About Majid Al Futtaim
Founded in 1992, Majid Al Futtaim is the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
A remarkable business success story, Majid Al Futtaim started from one man’s vision to transform the face of shopping, entertainment and leisure to ‘create great moments for everyone, every day’. It has since grown into one of the United Arab Emirates’ most respected and successful businesses spanning 15 international markets, employing more than 43,000 people, and obtaining the highest credit rating (BBB) among privately-held corporates in the region.
Majid Al Futtaim owns and operates 26 shopping malls, 13 hotels and four mixed-use communities, with further developments underway in the region. The shopping malls portfolio includes Mall of the Emirates, Mall of Egypt, City Centre malls, My City Centre neighbourhood centres, and four community malls which are in joint venture with the Government of Sharjah. The Company is the exclusive franchisee for Carrefour in a number of markets across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, operating a portfolio of more than 280 outlets.
Majid Al Futtaim operates more than 400 VOX Cinemas screens and 36 Magic Planet family entertainment centres across the region, in addition to iconic leisure and entertainment facilities such as Ski Dubai, iFly Dubai and Ski Egypt, among others. The Company is parent to the consumer finance company 'Najm', and a Fashion and Home retail business representing international brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, AllSaints, lululemon athletica, Crate & Barrel and Maisons du Monde. In addition, Majid Al Futtaim operates Enova, a facility and energy management company, through a joint venture operation with Veolia, a global leader in optimised environment resource management. The Company also owns the rights to The LEGO Store and American Girl in the Middle East and operates in the food and beverage industry through a partnership with Gourmet Gulf.
About Dreamscape
Dreamscape Immersive is a location-based VR studio and retailer backed by some of Hollywood's most successful studios and talent, including 21st Century Fox, WarnerMedia, Viacom, Steven Spielberg and Hans Zimmer. It combines the emotional power of Hollywood storytelling, the visceral excitement of great theme-park rides, and proprietary full-body tracking technology to create stories and worlds that push the limits of virtual reality.
Dreamscape was founded in 2017 by Swiss computer scientists Caecilia Charbonnier and Sylvain Chagué; entrepreneur Ronald Menzel; producer, screenwriter, and former head of Dreamworks Motion Pictures, Walter Parkes; global music events producer and serial entrepreneur Kevin Wall, along with his partner Aaron Grosky; and former Chief Creative Officer of Disney Imagineering, Bruce Vaughn.
The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, with a facility in Geneva. Experiential venues began rolling out in December 2018, including its premier location at Westfield Century City Mall. In 2019, Dreamscape opened its second location at NorthPark Center in Dallas, TX, with additional domestic and international locations coming soon. To learn more about Dreamscape, please follow @visitdreamscape or visit our site at: dreamscapeimmersive.com.