A trailer released Tuesday for a new version of The Matrix shows how the 1999 sci-fi action classic will be experienced in Cosm’s “shared reality” venues starting in June.
“Over 25 years ago, the Matrix was revealed,” on-screen text rendered in the film’s signature green-on-black palette reads. “This is your chance to step into the Matrix.”
The trailer (watch it above) emphasizes the immersive feel inside Cosm locations, especially their central feature, an LED dome 87 feet in diameter. The film’s fabled action sequences and visual effects, featuring martial arts moves, blurring backgrounds and coursing digits, wrap all the way around the crowd. Audience members look in every direction, planetarium-style, to take in the spectacle.
Cosm, which so far has locations in L.A. (near SoFi Stadium) and Dallas, raised $250 million last summer. Investors include Avenue Sports Fund, led by former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry, and Rock, founded by Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert.
The Matrix will start screening June 6, and tickets are already on sale. Under the partnership announced last month, future collaborations with Warner Bros will involve other repertory and library titles, with the partners sharing ticket revenue. Little Cinema, a creative studio founded by audiovisual artist Jay Rinsky, helped customize the new version of The Matrix to play in Cosm sites.
In addition to what’s onscreen, Cosm also markets the experience of watching something with other people, with food, beverages and merchandise all key ingredients. The company plans to open locations in Atlanta and Detroit in 2026 and other markets down the line. The tech-forward spaces combine theater-style seating and wall-sized screens for communal viewing of a range of sports, live events and other programming, along with a flexibly laid-out environment.
The Matrix booking follows a spree of news about premium large-format theater investment and considerable attention to the growing subset of the theater business at this month’s Cinema-Con. Leading theater operator AMC Entertainment is building its first ScreenX and 4DX auditoriums and also expanding its portfolio of Dolby rooms. While overall box office remains in a slump, with ticket sales well below pre-Covid levels, industry data from recent years indicates a willingness of some audiences to spend a bit more on tickets in exchange for a more rarified experience.
Pricing is one intriguing element about Cosm’s foray into movie exhibition. Especially due to the venues establishing themselves as places to watch high-profile sporting events, pricing is dynamic and depends on demand. For the Super Bowl last February, the cost of some ticket packages approached $1,000, and many seats for the men’s college basketball Final Four commanded more than $100. For a more conventional weekday NBA game, $30 to $35 is more common, while a handful of immersive films made to optimize the Cosm venue environment have seen tickets go for more than $50 for a double feature.
From Deadline.com