In partnership with meta, Eli Roth, Crypt TV and ShinAwiL will premiere their VR episodic series “The Faceless Lady” on April 4 at 5 p.m. PT in meta Horizon Worlds. The first known live-action VR series, “The Faceless Lady” will premiere in stereoscopic (3D) and consist of six episodes, with one episode dropping every Thursday after the premiere.
“Partnering with meta on VR originals has been an incredible experience, and I can’t wait for fans to enjoy VR horror in series form with ‘The Faceless Lady.’ Seeing the reaction to ‘Trick-VR-Treat’ and ‘Be Mine’ showed what an appetite genre fans have for this medium and how VR users are experiencing horror through the headset,” Roth said in a statement. “A VR horror episodic series will scare viewers in a way this medium has never seen before.”
The storyline, set in Ireland, is inspired by the real 17th century Irish folklore of Lady Margaret Hodnett, who is said to haunt Cork’s Belvelly Castle by stalking visitors through mirrors and reflective surfaces. “The Faceless Lady” has been adapted for modern day with a supernatural twist, following three couples who have been invited to a medieval castle for a weekend competition in Ireland — where they will either win Lady Margaret’s games or lose their lives.
Attendees can RSVP for the event in meta Horizon Worlds, with the series available in the Creepy Cabin world. Users can immerse themselves in haunted experiences and premium horror content as they uncover the mysteries of the haunted cabin. For those not able to tune into episodes when they premiere in the meta Horizon Worlds, “The Faceless Lady” can be watched on demand in VR on meta Quest TV. Fans without a meta Quest VR headset can watch the first two episodes on Crypt TV’s Facebook page when they premiere in VR.
Presented by Roth, the series is written by Jerome Velinsky and directed by John William Ross. Tara Lee and Staz Nair star in “The Faceless Lady,” along with Daisy Jelley, Mei Henri, Ugo Onwughalu, Sophie Rebecca-Jones and Ned Dennehy.
Crypt TV and Roth produced the VR specials “Haunted House: Trick-VR-Treat” and “Be Mine” for meta in 2022. The next step in scripted VR, “The Faceless Lady” is six times longer, serialized and in 3D.
“We’re calling this XR Television. For the first time ever, we can now produce live-action XR TV shows that look like no live action scripted content before it. Bigger than a movie screen, or even Imax, the canvas is massive, it is head-to-toe, side-to-side, and in 3D, there’s real depth, you can touch the action, the sound is spatial, you are in the scene,” Darren Brandl, executive producer for Crypt TV, said in a statement. “This is a big moment for XR. The tech has finally caught up to the promise of the premise and we hope fans will love it.”
The team bringing this storytelling format to life includes executive producers Jack Davis and Brandl for Crypt TV, Roth and Larry Bass and Aaron Farrel of ShinAwiL. VR production services were rendered by Light Sail VR and co-executive producers Robert Watts and Matt Celia.
“’The Faceless Lady’ redefines the horror genre by allowing viewers to experience the series in stereoscopic VR, creating an unparalleled sense of presence and pushing the boundaries of how we perceive and engage with frightening tales,” Sarah Malkin, director of metaverse entertainment content at meta, said in a statement. “We’re excited to feature this first-of-its-kind 3D VR horror series from Eli Roth and Crypt TV and can’t wait for audiences to immerse themselves in this chilling narrative and groundbreaking technology.”
Watch the trailer below.
