meta continues its attempts to try to make entertainment in VR a thing.
The tech giant has enlisted Marlon Wayans to host a show in which he challenges celebrity friends to confront their biggest fears in virtual reality using a meta Quest 2 VR headset — and users will be able to watch those terror-inducing VR experiences for themselves.
“Oh Hell No! With Marlon Wayans” premieres Oct. 26, just in time for Halloween. The series, produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment, will run for six episodes, debuting weekly on Wednesdays at 9 a.m. PT on Wayans’ Facebook and Instagram pages, while meta Quest 2 users can view the series’ exclusive immersive VR experience on meta Quest TV.
In each episode, the actor-comedian-writer will exploit the various phobias of guests including Anthony Anderson (“Black-ish”), Kelly Rowland (of Destiny’s Child), digital creator Bryce Hall, Nikki Bella and Brie Bella (the Bella Twins), social influencer and singer Loren Gray, and comedian Loni Love. The fears on the menu range from phasmophobia (fear of ghosts) to galeophobia (sharks), and from acrophobia (heights) to zoophobia (animals).
“There’s nothing more fun than horror, pranking and scaring friends,” Wayans said in a statement. “This show has all the above.”
The project joins other recent horror-themed VR experiences commissioned by meta, including “Eli Roth’s Haunted House: Trick-VR-Treat,” starring Vanessa Hudgens, and aVR experience in Horizon Worlds based on Jordan Peele’s “Nope.”
“Oh Hell No! With Marlon Wayans” is executive produced by Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon, Madison Merritt, and Elaine metaxas for Jesse Collins Entertainment. Wayans and Rick Alvarez also serve as executive producers, as does showrunner Rachel Weintraub. David Goldman and Shantal Anderson serve as co-executive producers.
“It has always been a goal to work with Marlon Wayans, so partnering on this project with meta is a dream come true,” said Jesse Collins, founder and CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment, who among his credits is an executive producer of the Grammy Awards and produced the 2021 Oscars.
Mina Lefevre, meta’s head of development and programming, added: “We are thrilled to collaborate with the hilarious and talented Marlon Wayans as he brings his closest friends face-to-face with their fears thanks to the power of virtual reality. We’re excited to partner with Jesse Collins Entertainment to bring these immersive experiences to life using meta Quest 2.”
Watch the trailer for “Oh Hell No! With Marlon Wayans”:
