Pure Imagination Studios
Pure Imagination Studios is a Los Angeles-based diversified entertainment and spatial computing studio founded in 2012 that designs themed attractions, VR/AR experiences, and animated content for global entertainment IP holders (Marvel, LEGO, Warner Bros., Netflix, Capcom) and theme park operators, using Unreal Engine-based real-time production pipelines.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersVan Nuys, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Pure Imagination Studios does
Pure Imagination Studios is a privately held, diversified entertainment and spatial computing company founded in 2012 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The company designs, develops, and produces immersive content across multiple verticals — themed attractions and dark rides (Justice League: Battle for Metropolis, Planet of the Apes, LEGO Mythica Flying Theater, Monkey King: Journey to the West), location-based VR experiences (Alien: Descent, Army of the Dead touring 17+ US cities), AR applications (DC: Batman Bat-Tech Edition), animated films and series (LEGO Hidden Side, Monster Hunter: Legends of the Guild, The Simpsons: Brick Like Me, LEGO Chris Stapleton music video), and digital marketing content. Its competitive foundation is a proprietary real-time production pipeline built on Unreal Engine, which the company claims enables it to operate as a "Spatial Computing Studio (Studio 3.0)" spanning feature films, television, animation, interactive experiences, VR/MR, and themed entertainment.
The company operates a project-based, multi-revenue-stream B2B model. Revenue is generated through (a) custom attraction and experience development contracts with global entertainment IP holders and theme park operators (Marvel, LEGO, DreamWorks, Universal, Warner Bros./DC, Netflix, Capcom, Six Flags, Merlin Entertainments), typically structured as professional-services engagements; (b) one-time licensing of animated content to streaming platforms (Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, Peacock, Cartoon Network); (c) transaction-fee-based mobile location-based VR experiences distributed through Fever at $22-$24 per participant; and (d) emerging managed-services revenue from enterprise training and simulation via Pure Imagination Labs and the K-AIRES facility at Kansas State University Salina, a $41 million public-private partnership with the State of Kansas and Salina Airport Authority. The team comprises 60+ employees across three continents with active hiring across technical and creative disciplines in Salina, Kansas, supporting the company's expansion into aerospace, defense, education, and advanced manufacturing training. Notable recognitions include TEA Thea Award and IAAPA Award for Justice League: Battle for Metropolis and a CMA Awards nomination for the LEGO Chris Stapleton "Second One To Know" music video.
Pure Imagination Studios firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pure Imagination Studios
- Legal name
- Pure Imagination Studios
- Website
- https://pistudios.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Pure Imagination Studios is a Los Angeles-based diversified entertainment and spatial computing studio founded in 2012 that designs themed attractions, VR/AR experiences, and animated content for global entertainment IP holders (Marvel, LEGO, Warner Bros., Netflix, Capcom) and theme park operators, using Unreal Engine-based real-time production pipelines.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pure Imagination Studios industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Themed Entertainment & Immersive Experiences
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Immersive/Interactive Animation (AR/VR/Real-Time) (MPAHACAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Real-Time Compositing, Keying & On-Set Playback (MPAHADAG), Serious Games & Simulation Studios (Training, Defense, Enterprise) (MPAFAAAH), Co-Development, Porting & Remaster Studios (MPAFAAAM)
Keywords
Where Pure Imagination Studios is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Van Nuys
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Pure Imagination Studios business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Custom Attraction & Experience Development: B2B contracts with entertainment brands and theme parks to design and build custom immersive attractions, dark rides, VR experiences, and themed entertainment installations
- Spatial Computing & Training Solutions: Enterprise training and simulation solutions using immersive technologies for education, defense, and industrial applications through the K-AIRES facility
- Animation & Content Production: Animated specials, series, and content created for streaming platforms and entertainment brands including Netflix, Disney+, and major film studios
- Location-Based VR Experiences: Mobile VR experiences touring cities, ticket-based pricing for immersive location-based entertainment experiences like Army of the Dead VR
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual VR Experience Ticket |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Army of the Dead VR Experience |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Pure Imagination Studios product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pure Imagination Studios designs, develops, and produces custom immersive themed attractions, interactive dark rides, 4D theater experiences, location-based VR/MR experiences, AR applications, and animated content for global entertainment brands and theme park operators. The studio's core capability is end-to-end real-time production using Unreal Engine, delivering projects from concept through CGI production and installation across feature films, TV/animation, interactive experiences, VR/MR, location-based entertainment, and theme-park attractions.
Product overview
Pure Imagination Studios is a diversified entertainment company founded in 2012, operating as the world's foremost Spatial Computing Studio (Studio 3.0). The company produces high-quality content and immersive experiences across multiple verticals: animated films and television series (including LEGO properties, Monster Hunter, The Simpsons, and original content), themed attractions and dark rides for major parks (Justice League: Battle for Metropolis, Planet of the Apes, Monkey King), virtual and mixed reality experiences (Alien: Descent VR, Army of the Dead VR), location-based entertainment, and digital marketing content. The company pioneered real-time production pipelines using Unreal Engine and has expanded into advanced spatial computing with the K-AIRES facility at Kansas State University. Projects serve global entertainment brands including Marvel, LEGO, DreamWorks, Universal, Warner Bros., Netflix, Capcom, and Six Flags.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Pure Imagination Labs: A division of Pure Imagination Studios that designs immersive, interactive experiences making complex training and simulation intuitive, purposeful, and fun. Projects blend real-time systems, tactile interfaces, and narrative framing to support education, decision-making, teamwork, and user engagement in high-stakes scenarios.
Products and services
- Justice League: Battle for Metropolis Interactive dark ride for Six Flags parks built in collaboration with Sally Corporation, featuring 6-DOF vehicles, 180-degree toroidal screens, and an interactive 3D fog screen with real-time gameplay.
- Planet of the Apes Dark Ride Motion-based, trackless dark ride developed in partnership with WETA Digital, set after Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, in which riders join Malcolm on a journey through San Francisco to help Caesar and the apes escape.
- Monkey King: Journey to the West Interactive dark ride at Wanda Movie Park in Wuhan, China, where guests experience the story of the Monkey King battling demons and monsters in a 3D real-time adventure.
- Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare: 3Z Arena World's first dueling interactive theater at Carowinds, North Carolina. Players split into Plants and Zombies teams of up to 34 players on motion-based seats competing across four environments.
- Batman: Dark Flight DC Comics' first Batman 4D flight simulation ride featuring cutting-edge flight simulation technology and top-tier audio-visual design, in which riders experience Batman's battle against Gotham City's villains.
- LEGO: Mythica Flying Theater Flying Theater ride featuring the Sky Lion (Maximus) at LEGOLAND, transporting families to the parallel universe of LEGO MYTHICA to encounter mythical creatures such as the Hydra, Fire and Ice Bird, and Chimera.
- Marvel 4D: Madame Tussauds 4D movie experience at Madame Tussauds Hollywood featuring Marvel Super Heroes including Captain Marvel, Thor, Black Panther, Rocket, Spider-Man, and Ant-Man battling Loki, with wind, water, and special effects.
- The LEGO Movie 4D: A New Adventure 4D theater show following Emmet, Wyldstyle, Unikitty, Benny, and MetalBeard on a mysterious invitation to a new theme park, installed at Merlin-operated theme parks. End-to-end production from story to render by Pure Imagination Studios.
- Angry Birds 4-D Experience Stereoscopic 4D film experience featuring Red and his bird compatriots rescuing eggs from King Pig, created for Angry Birds Land at Thorpe Park in London, England.
- Alien: Descent VR Free-roaming wireless VR experience produced with FoxNext, in which up to 4 players join Colonial Marines investigating a distress signal from a mining outpost, debuting first-of-its-kind wireless VR technology.
- Army of the Dead VR Experience Mobile location-based VR experience based on Netflix's Army of the Dead, in which up to 6 players join the Las Vengeance crew aboard an armored taco truck with motion platforms on a rescue mission through zombie-infested Las Vegas.
- DC: Batman Bat-Tech Edition AR Augmented reality app for kids aged 6-12 featuring immersive AR storytelling missions, a Bat-Tech AR explorer explaining science, mini-games, digital comics reader with the Knightwatch series, and AR filters. Localized into 13 languages and COPPA compliant.
- Monster Hunter: Legends of the Guild Animated special produced in partnership with Netflix and Capcom, telling the origin story of young hunter Aiden who attempts to protect his village from an Elder Dragon.
- LEGO Hidden Side LEGO animated series featuring ghost-hunting adventures in which Jack Davis and friends explore the Hidden Side of Newbury, encountering ghosts and supernatural phenomena across multiple episodes.
- The Simpsons: Brick Like Me Special 550th episode of The Simpsons reimagined in LEGO style, in which Pure Imagination Studios created all CG sequences (14 minutes) featuring Springfield rebuilt in bright, brick-by-brick 3D.
- LEGO Jurassic World: The Indominus Escape Direct-to-TV special produced with LEGO and Universal Studios, featuring Bryce Dallas Howard and other original film talents voicing their LEGO counterparts.
- K-AIRES (Kansas Advanced Immersive Research for Emerging Systems) $41 million advanced spatial computing studio and learning center at Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus, spanning aerospace, simulation, defense training, education, entertainment, and immersive storytelling.
- Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers Eight-episode animated series based on underground comix stars, created with Starburns Industries with creative talent from Rick & Morty, Silicon Valley, and Workaholics.
Quantifiable outcome
- Justice League: Battle for Metropolis recognized with TEA Thea Award and IAAPA Award for excellence in themed entertainment
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Pure Imagination Studios
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Pure Imagination Studios technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Pure Imagination Studios partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Kansas State University Salinaflagship$41 million partnership to build K-AIRES (Kansas Advanced Immersive Research for Emerging Systems) - a 55,000 sq ft spatial computing studio and learning center. Expected to create 100+ local jobs and 150 construction jobs. Construction begins Fall 2023.
- Salina Airport AuthoritycorePartner in K-AIRES facility development at Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus
- State of KansascoreState government partnership supporting the K-AIRES spatial computing facility investment and economic development
- Sally CorporationcoreCollaboration on multiple Justice League: Battle for Metropolis interactive dark rides for Six Flags parks. Sally Corporation provided ride systems while Pure Imagination Studios handled CGI production.
- FoxNext/FoxcoreProduced Alien: Descent VR experience with FoxNext, the location-based entertainment arm of 20th Century Fox. First-of-its-kind wireless free-roaming VR experience.
- NetflixcoreCreative collaboration on Army of the Dead VR Experience, Monster Hunter: Legends of the Guild animated special, and LEGO Dreamzzz series. Netflix serves as major content distribution and co-production partner.
- CapcomcoreCo-production partnership with Capcom to produce and co-finance Monster Hunter: Legends of the Guild animated special
- Warner Bros. Discovery/DCcorePartnership on DC: Batman Bat-Tech Edition AR app development, LEGO Batman content, and other DC-themed experiences. Long-standing relationship for multiple projects.
- WETA DigitalcorePartnership on Planet of the Apes dark ride media development - WETA provided visual effects and digital content expertise for the motion-based trackless adventure
- The LEGO GroupcoreLong-standing partnership producing numerous LEGO-branded content and experiences including LEGO Hidden Side, LEGO Mythica Flying Theater, LEGO Movies 4D, and LEGO Jurassic World content
- Merlin EntertainmentscorePartnership with Merlin for The LEGO Movie 4D: A New Adventure experience at Merlin-operated theme parks
- FevercorePartnership with Fever entertainment discovery platform to distribute Army of the Dead VR Experience across 17+ US cities through mobile touring locations
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Pure Imagination Studios competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Magnopus: Los Angeles-based studio specializing in real-time, Unreal Engine-powered immersive experiences for theme parks, location-based entertainment, and enterprise, with a portfolio overlapping Pure Imagination's VR, AR, and themed attraction work.
- Framestore: Global VFX and creative studio with a dedicated immersive and experiential division producing VR, AR, and themed entertainment projects for major IP holders, directly competing for the same B2B immersive content budgets.
- ILM Experiences: Industrial Light & Magic's immersive experiences division delivers real-time, Unreal-based theme park, VR, and location-based entertainment projects for Lucasfilm/Disney and other IP owners, overlapping Pure Imagination's core offering.
- Dreamscape Immersive: Location-based VR entertainment operator that develops and operates immersive VR venues; comparable to Pure Imagination's VR experience arm (e.g., Army of the Dead VR) and Fever touring deployments.
- The Third Floor: Visualization and virtual production studio that has expanded into immersive experiences and real-time production, comparable to Pure Imagination's real-time pipeline and theming work.
- Digital Domain: Hollywood VFX and immersive experience house with credits on theme park content and virtual production, competing for premium IP-driven immersive and animation projects.
Broad incumbents
- Walt Disney Imagineering: In-house creative arm of Disney that designs and produces theme park attractions and immersive experiences; sets the bar for premium themed entertainment and competes with Pure Imagination for the same pool of IP-driven immersive work.
- Universal Creative: Universal's in-house design and development arm for theme parks and immersive experiences; one of Pure Imagination's direct customers and a potential competitor on external IP immersive work.
Emerging players
- Felix & Paul Studios: Immersive VR content studio producing high-end VR experiences for distribution and location-based venues, comparable to Pure Imagination's VR experience work with premium IP.
- Baobab Studios: Independent VR animation studio producing interactive animated content with major IP partners, comparable to Pure Imagination's animation and AR/VR storytelling projects (e.g., Monster Hunter, LEGO Hidden Side).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Pure Imagination Studios social profiles
Digital presencePure Imagination Studios financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pure Imagination Studios leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Pure Imagination Studios subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Pure Imagination Studios funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pure Imagination Studios M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pure Imagination Studios
What does Pure Imagination Studios do?
Pure Imagination Studios designs, develops, and produces custom immersive themed attractions, interactive dark rides, 4D theater experiences, location-based VR/MR experiences, AR applications, and animated content for global entertainment brands and theme park operators. The studio's core capability is end-to-end real-time production using Unreal Engine, delivering projects from concept through CGI production and installation across feature films, TV/animation, interactive experiences, VR/MR, location-based entertainment, and theme-park attractions.
Is Pure Imagination Studios a public or private company?
Pure Imagination Studios is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Pure Imagination Studios founded?
Pure Imagination Studios was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Pure Imagination Studios based?
Pure Imagination Studios is headquartered in Van Nuys, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pure Imagination Studios make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Custom Attraction & Experience Development is the primary driver. The others are spatial Computing & Training Solutions, animation & Content Production and location-Based VR Experiences.
Who are Pure Imagination Studios's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Magnopus, Framestore, ILM Experiences, Dreamscape Immersive, The Third Floor and Digital Domain. Broad incumbents are Walt Disney Imagineering and Universal Creative. Emerging players are Felix & Paul Studios and Baobab Studios.
Does Pure Imagination Studios have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pure Imagination Studios.
What industry is Pure Imagination Studios in?
Pure Imagination Studios's product category is Themed Entertainment & Immersive Experiences. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHACAN, Immersive/Interactive Animation (AR/VR/Real-Time), with a secondary code of MPAHADAG, Real-Time Compositing, Keying & On-Set Playback. Its NAICS code is 512110 and its SIC code is 7812.