Disney and Google today announced an unprecedented collaboration, Awaken the Force Within, allowing Star Wars fans the chance to take part in an immersive experience in celebration of Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
The global program begins today and gives fans the chance to make a choice to be on the Dark Side or the Light Side for the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens when visiting Google.com/StarWars and changing their favorite Google apps to reflect the path they choose. Special experiences have been developed for Android Wear Watches, Google Calendar, Chrome, Chromecast, Gmail, Google Maps, Google Now, Waze and YouTube with added features for fans to discover on their Inbox by Gmail, Google Translate and Google Search.
In addition, on December 2 a new virtual reality experience developed along with Google and Verizon will be released. This will feature the first-of-its-kind serialized Google Cardboard Virtual Reality (VR) experience that combines a compelling story and exclusive, never-seen-before content, which ties directly into the opening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, with the very latest cutting-edge Virtual Reality technology.
ILMxLAB, a laboratory for immersive entertainment from Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, created the Virtual Reality content for the Google Cardboard VR Experience utilizing the group’s combined expertise in special effects, design and artistry.
The Google Cardboard Virtual Reality experience launches via the official Star Wars app and is available on both Android and iOS devices.
Four custom Google Cardboard viewer designs featuring popular Star Wars images will also be available exclusively in Verizon stores beginning December 2.
Opening in theaters on December 18, 2015, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is set 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, and features a new generation of swashbuckling heroes and shadowy villains, as well as the return of fan-favorite smugglers, princesses, and Jedi.
Directed by J.J. Abrams, the highly-anticipated movie stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Max Von Sydow. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk are producing with Tommy Harper and Jason McGatlin serving as executive producers. The screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan & J.J. Abrams and Michael Arndt.
