Haute 100: Michael Bay Is Putting You at the Center of Action With VR Project

Haute 100 lister Michael Bay is known to direct big budget films that boast a slew of action stylistic visuals, special effects and of course major explosives. Bay aficionados are rarely—if ever—disappointed by Bay’s action packed films, hence why Transformers, Bad Boys and other Bay films have racked up well over millions of dollars worldwide. So what’s next for the legendary director? A partnership to focus on virtual reality of course.

The Rogue Initiative just announced a partnership with Bay to develop original entertainment properties with a focus on virtual reality and interactive hardware. What can we expect from the collaboration specifically? Immersive, virtual adventures boasting gritty dangerous scenes with Bay’s signature style of over-the-top production and storytelling.

In a statement released by the company, Bay said, “I’ve known Pete for a long time, and he’s put together a great team. I’m excited about building new visual worlds for this innovative medium with them.”

Pete Blumel, co-founder and CEO of The Rogue Initiative, added, “I’ve enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Mr. Bay and couldn’t be more excited to work with him and truly leverage his unique vision and incredible depth of experience to this amazing new medium. We’re all absolutely thrilled to be working with such a cinematic powerhouse in the field of action entertainment.”

Bay will join the company as a strategic advisor, along with veteran film and television Producer Linda Obst (whose credits include Interstellar, Contact, Sleepless in Seattle) as well as other recently added advisors, including Cliff Plumer (President, Jaunt Studios at Jaunt VR), Matthew Cohan (President, Bay Films), and Cody Simms (Executive Director, Disney/TechStars). This will be the Los Angeles native first foray into the world of virtual reality.

The Rogue Initiative is a Los Angeles-based production studio that delivers cutting edge immersive technology. It is led by award-winning industry veterans including alumni from Amblin Entertainment, Pixar, Dreamworks Animation, Sony Pictures, Disney, and Infinity Ward.