One of the most frightening moments in Alien: Covenant involves the spinal birth of a brand new creature, the Neomorph. We used the medium of VR to let audiences experience this scene from a radically new point of view: that of the Neomorph itself. Fans experience the world around them and relive the very first memories of the Neomorph in an immersive environment. This allowed us to make the most of the medium and present a perspective that would be impossible to experience without the use of VR.

Alien: Covenant In Utero’s concept was unveiled during a CES event where attendees were introduced to artwork and the creative idea. Leading up to Alien Day on April 26, a nod to planet LV-426 from the iconic ALIEN films, the studio released a 360-degree video teaser and hosted a media day. On April 26, Alien: Covenant In Utero was launched exclusively on the Oculus platform to coincide with a variety of other fan-focused Alien Day festivities. The studio took Alien: Covenant on the road for a global press junket and In Utero was featured in a VR tour at 15 Regal Cinemas throughout the U.S. This all led up to the global Alien: Covenant in Utero release, which expanded the virtual reality experience to more VR platforms, all major VR headsets and 10 additional languages. Alien: Covenant was supported with fan engagement, social posts and other promotions.

Overall, results were 4.1 million video views, 33.3 million consumer impressions and was the No. 1 most talked about theatrical release as a result of this campaign.

Media have hailed the Alien: Covenant In Utero with TechCrunch calling it “bloody, terrifying and incredible” and Mashable said “lovers of sci-fi rejoice… it’s horrible. It’s gross. It’s very wrong. And it’s everything an Alien fan could ask for.” Metro also said that “the new VR video for Alien: Covenant is some of the coolest – and grisliest – VR we’ve seen.”

Other top outlets that praised Alien: Covenant In Utero include CNET, Variety, The Verge, The Hollywood Reporter, International Business Times, USA Today, TheWrap, Gizmodo, and more. That engagement extended to social media, where those same reporters shared the excitement with their followers and changed the conversation on how VR can and will be used in the future.