This year at San Diego Comic-Con, fans of USA Network's Emmy-nominated MR. ROBOT will be able to experience a one-of-a-kind virtual reality prequel, written and directed by Sam Esmail and starring Emmy nominee Rami Malek. The 12-minute, fully-scripted piece, created with Chris Milk's pioneering virtual reality production company Here Be Dragons, in partnership with Universal Cable Productions, provides viewers with one of the first extended narrative pieces of television content in the VR medium and offers an inside look at Elliot's backstory. MR. ROBOT returned for its second season on usa network Wednesday, July 13 and airs Wednesdays at 10/9c.
MR. ROBOT cast members Rami Malek, Christian Slater, Portia Doubleday, Carly Chaikin and Grace Gummer will join fans as the 12-minute prequel VR scene debuts live on Thursday, July 21 at 10:45AM PT in San Diego's Petco Park. Additionally,
usa network will make the content available in the U.S. and internationally, marking the largest-ever co-viewing virtual reality simulcast event. Fans both inside San Diego's ballpark and around the world will use the Within app to power the shared experience.
Following the initial viewing and continuing through Sunday, July 24th, the content will disappear online but be available exclusively at a
MR. ROBOT Comic-Con pop-up storefront experience (343 4th Avenue, San Diego, CA) - an authentic replica of the
MR. ROBOT Computer Repair Shop from the series. There, fans will enter the interior of Elliot's apartment to experience the VR scene. Additionally, in partnership with Uber, San Diego Comic-Con attendees will be able to request on the Uber app that the VR experience come to them directly, via
MR. ROBOT Computer Repair Shop vans.
Following Comic Con, the experience will be rolled out wide across multiple VR apps and platforms, including the Within app, Facebook 360,
Youtube 360 and New York Times VR."
USA Network and Universal Cable Productions partnered with Chris Milk's pioneering virtual reality technology company Within and production company Here Be Dragons to present and create the content, with
MR. ROBOT showrunner Sam Esmail collaborating closely with Milk and his team to ensure the highest-quality, most genuine experience.
"The
MR. ROBOT VR Experience and simulcast premiere are unlike anything we've ever done before," said Milk. "Sam has brought his vision and voice as a filmmaker to this new medium, helping build a foundation for what narrative storytelling can feel like in virtual reality. AtWithin, we've been looking for ways to make VR a more social and communal experience, and connecting thousands of fans across the country to the same experience at the same exact time is a giant step towards that goal."
"Fans of
MR. ROBOT want more than just to consume the series - they want to immerse themselves in it," said Alexandra Shapiro, EVP of Marketing & Digital, Entertainment Networks, NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. "This VR experience is meant to give our most passionate fans the opportunity to delve deeper into the characters and plot of the series in a way that is truly additive. It's another way we are working to tell stories in alternative, bold new ways."
MR. ROBOT kicked off its second season on Wednesday, July 13 at 10/9c with a premiere night event that includes two back-to-back episodes - presented with limited commercial breaks. A live on-air after show,HACKING ROBOT, hosted by Andy Greenwald, aired immediately following the two-episode season premiere on
USA Network.
MR. ROBOT follows Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek), a cyber-security engineer who becomes involved in the
UNDERGROUND hacker group fsociety, after being recruited by their mysterious leader (Christian Slater). Following the events of fsociety's five/nine hack on multi-national company Evil Corp, the second season will explore the consequences of that attack as well as the illusion of control.
MR. ROBOT stars Emmy Award, Golden Globe® Award and SAG® Award Nominee Malek ("The Pacific"), Golden Globe Award Winner Slater ("Nymphomaniac"), Portia Doubleday ("Her"), Carly Chaikin ("Suburgatory"), Martin Wallström ("Simple Simon"), Grace Gummer ("The Newsroom"), Michael Cristofer ("Ray Donovan") and Stephanie Corneliussen ("Legends of Tomorrow"). New recurring guest stars include Craig Robinson ("The Office"), hip hop artist Joey Bada$$, Sandrine Holt ("Fear The Walking Dead"), Michael Maize ("National Treasure: Book of Secrets"), Dorothi
FOX ("Run All Night") and Luke Robertson ("The Americans"). Returning cast members include BD Wong ("Law & Order: SVU"), Gloria Reuben ("Saints & Sinners"), Michael Drayer ("Vinyl"), Michel Gill ("House of Cards"), Ron Cephas Jones ("The Blacklist"), Sunita Mani ("5 Stages"), Azhar Khan ("Veep") and Ben Rappaport ("The Good Wife").
MR. ROBOT hails from writer and executive producer Sam Esmail ("Comet"), who will be directing all 12 episodes, as well as Anonymous Content executive producers Steve Golin ("True Detective") and Chad Hamilton ("Breakup at a Wedding").
MR. ROBOT is produced by Universal Cable Productions.
