LOS ANGELES:
Alicia Vikander may be
best known for her leading role in the current “Tomb Raider” reboot, but the Swedish actress is taking a first step into the world of virtual reality (VR) with “Arden’s Wake: Tide’s Fall,” the new animated feature from San Francisco’s Penrose
Studios that is premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival this month.
“This project is unlike anything I’ve ever done before, and I think virtual and augmented reality are going to be big in Hollywood, as well as entertainment more
broadly,” said Vikander.
In “Arden’s Wake: Tide’s Fall,” Vikander is voicing the role of Meena, a young woman who lives with her father on a lighthouse that floats somewhere on top of what at one point used to be New York City. The dichotomy between Meena’s post-apocalyptic world and her idyllic home, full of pictures and childhood memories, sets the tone for the entire piece, which touches on motives of family, loss and personal growth.
“Meena’s character has a special spark, and I was immediately drawn to her when I experienced her in VR,” Vikander said. “The movie daringly brings up difficult situations while also allowing viewers to get quite close to the characters in such an immersive and emotional experience. I am thrilled to help bring Meena’s character to life.”
Penrose Studios first debuted a preview version of “Arden’s Wake” at Tribeca last year, and incorporated some of those storylines into the final version that it is unveiling this year. The entire piece, which measures close to 30 minutes, changed quite a bit after Vikander brought her voice to Meena’s character, said Penrose founder and CEO Eugene Chung. “We were able to take this to the next level and have her voice infuse the whole piece.”
“Everyone outside of the sound booth gave a standing ovation” after Vikander had recorded her take, he recalled. (RTRS)