ILM Immersive

What ILM Immersive does

ILM Immersive is the experiential storytelling division of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), founded by George Lucas in 1975 and operating since 2012 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lucasfilm within The Walt Disney Company. The division produces immersive entertainment across virtual reality (PlayStation VR/VR2, Meta Quest), mixed reality (Meta Quest 3, Apple Vision Pro), augmented reality (Snap Spectacles), and large-format venue productions (MSG Sphere in Las Vegas, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, Downtown Disney/Disney Springs). Its portfolio spans Star Wars titles (Vader Immortal, Tales from the Galaxy's Edge, Beyond Victory, Secrets of the Empire), Marvel titles (What If...? An Immersive Story, Avengers: Damage Control, Real-Time Rocket), original venue works (Postcard from Earth, U2:UV Achtung Baby Live, ABBA Voyage, Dead & Company: Dead Forever), and auteur installations (CARNE y ARENA).

The division's underlying technology stack combines proprietary capture hardware (the bespoke Big Sky camera system with a 316-megapixel single-lens sensor capable of 18Kx18K imaging at 120 fps), real-time rendering pipelines capable of generating 16Kx16K content for Sphere's 580,000 square feet of LEDs, markerless motion-capture systems enabling live actor control of photoreal characters, and cross-platform distribution. It operates from five global studios in San Francisco, Vancouver, London, Mumbai, and Sydney, with 51-100 employees, and is led as part of ILM's broader leadership structure rather than as an independently funded entity.

ILM Immersive monetizes through a hybrid model: consumer app-store sales across Meta, Sony, and Apple storefronts for at-home VR/MR titles; ticket and licensing revenue from premium venue productions at MSG Sphere and ABBA Voyage's purpose-built London arena; location-based VR attraction revenue at Disney venues; and strategic co-development partnerships (notably the September 2024 Snap Spectacles founding-partner role alongside Niantic and LEGO). The division is not independently funded and reports no separate financials, with its economics embedded within Disney's segment reporting. Its customer base consists of consumer entertainment audiences on the demand side and platform partners (Meta, Apple, Sony, Snap, MSG Sphere, Disney) on the enterprise side, with Disney/Lucasfilm functioning as both parent and primary IP supplier.

Name

ILM Immersive

Legal name

Industrial Light & Magic

Website

https://ilmimmersive.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ILM Immersive is the VR, AR, mixed-reality, and large-format venue entertainment division of Industrial Light & Magic (a Disney/Lucasfilm subsidiary), producing Star Wars, Marvel, and original immersive experiences for Meta Quest, Apple Vision Pro, PlayStation VR, MSG Sphere, and premium venues worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immersive Entertainment

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121), Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

VR/AR/XR Game Studios (MPAFAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Immersive/Interactive Animation (AR/VR/Real-Time) (MPAHACAN), Mobile/Digital Experiential (AR/VR, Interactive Installations) (MPAAAGAI), Virtual Theater, Comedy & Performing Arts (Digital Performances) (MPAGAOAF)

Keywords

• Immersive entertainment
• Virtual reality experiences
• Mixed reality content
• Location-based entertainment
• Experiential storytelling

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Location-Based Entertainment Tickets: Revenue from ticket sales for immersive experiences at premium venues such as MSG Sphere productions including U2:UV Achtung Baby Live, Dead & Company: Dead Forever, and Postcard from Earth.
2. Digital Content Distribution: Sales and downloads of VR/AR experiences through platform app stores including Meta Quest, PlayStation VR, and Apple Vision Pro App Store.
3. Location-Based VR Attractions: Revenue from physical attractions at Disney venues including Downtown Disney and Disney Springs, such as Avengers: Damage Control and Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire.
4. AR Platform Development: Partnership with Snap Inc. for developing shared AR experiences using Snap Spectacles, with Lens Studio 5.0 development platform and OpenAI cloud-hosted AI models integration.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ILM Immersive designs and produces immersive entertainment experiences that blend physical and digital worlds, spanning virtual reality series, mixed reality playsets, Apple Vision Pro stories, and large-scale immersive venue productions. Offerings are delivered through consumer-facing app stores (Meta Quest, PlayStation VR, Apple Vision Pro), location-based VR attractions at Disney venues, and immersive concerts and films at MSG Sphere and the ABBA Voyage arena in London. The division leverages proprietary capture and rendering technology (including the Big Sky camera system and markerless motion capture) together with exclusive access to Star Wars, Marvel, and Disney intellectual property to deliver experiential storytelling unavailable to other studios.

Product overview

ILM Immersive is Industrial Light & Magic's experiential storytelling division offering a portfolio of immersive entertainment products across multiple formats and platforms. The portfolio includes virtual reality experiences (Vader Immortal, Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge), mixed reality experiences (Star Wars: Beyond Victory), Apple Vision Pro content (What If...? An Immersive Story), and large-scale venue productions (U2:UV Achtung Baby Live, ABBA Voyage, Dead & Company: Dead Forever at Sphere venues). The company also produces location-based VR experiences (Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire, CARNE y ARENA) and special venue projects (Real-Time Rocket at D23 Expo). These products span VR headsets (Meta Quest, PlayStation VR/VR2), AR glasses (Apple Vision Pro), and immersive venues (MSG Sphere, Downtown Disney), demonstrating a multi-platform distribution strategy for Star Wars, Marvel, and entertainment IP-based immersive experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Star Wars: Beyond Victory - A Mixed Reality Playset A mixed reality experience for Meta Quest 3 & 3S where players step into an original Star Wars story that blends podracing, a stellar cast, and powerful narrative with mixed-reality gameplay. Targeted at consumer VR/MR headset owners.
• What If…? – An Immersive Story An interactive reality-bending story for Apple Vision Pro from Marvel Studios, ILM, and Disney+ where users step into the Multiverse and harness the power of the Infinity Stones. Targeted at Apple Vision Pro owners seeking Marvel-branded immersive content.
• Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series A three-part virtual reality series for PlayStation VR and Meta Quest where players descend into Darth Vader's mysterious fortress alongside new allies and confront fearsome enemies. Targeted at VR headset owners seeking a Star Wars narrative experience.
• Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge A VR adventure for PlayStation VR2 and Meta Quest where players assume the role of a droid repair technician swept up into a grand adventure on the planet Batuu following an attack by the Guavian Death Gang. Targeted at VR headset owners seeking Star Wars action-adventure content.
• Postcard from Earth An immersive film production for MSG Sphere in Las Vegas, directed by Darren Aronofsky and captured on a bespoke single-lens Big Sky camera system with a 316-megapixel HDR image sensor capable of 18Kx18K images at up to 120 frames per second. Targeted at ticketed MSG Sphere audiences.
• U2:UV Achtung Baby Live A live performance at MSG Sphere in Las Vegas in which ILM generated fully CG photoreal environments at 16Kx16K resolution to fill Sphere's 580,000 square feet of LEDs, with multiple loopable segments supporting U2's stage show. Targeted at MSG Sphere concert audiences.
• ABBA Voyage A revolutionary concert featuring ABBA performing digitally with a live 10-piece band in a purpose-built 3,000-capacity arena at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. Targeted at live concert audiences in the UK.
• Dead & Company: Dead Forever A 30-show residency at MSG Sphere celebrating the Grateful Dead's legacy, combining their songbook with cutting-edge immersive technology for an immersive concert experience. Targeted at MSG Sphere concert audiences.
• CARNE y ARENA Academy Award-winning director Alejandro G. Iñárritu's conceptual virtual reality installation CARNE y ARENA (Virtually present, Physically invisible), exploring the human condition of immigrants and refugees. Targeted at venue and festival audiences.
• Avengers: Damage Control A location-based VR experience at Downtown Disney in which players visit a Wakandan Outreach Center to test Emergency Response Suits blending Wakandan and Stark Industries technology. Targeted at Disney venue visitors.
• Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire A location-based, multi-sensory VR experience at Downtown Disney and Disney Springs in which teams travel to Mustafar to recover Imperial intelligence vital to the rebellion's survival. Targeted at Disney venue visitors.
• Real-Time Rocket A special venue project at the 2024 D23 Expo in which markerless mocap actors controlled a high-fidelity photoreal render of Rocket Raccoon in real time, allowing fans to directly interact and speak with the character. Targeted at D23 Expo attendees and Marvel fans.

Quantifiable outcome

• First immersive production made for MSG Sphere with Postcard from Earth
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Snap Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2024Strategic partnership announced September 17, 2024 at Snap's Spectacles Developer Program event. ILM Immersive (Lucasfilm) partnered with Snap Inc. to create shared AR experiences using the fifth-generation Snap Spectacles AR glasses running Snap OS. The partnership includes access to Snap's Lens Studio 5.0 development platform and integration with OpenAI's cloud-hosted AI models.
• NianticcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2024Partnership announced alongside ILM Immersive at Snap's Spectacles Developer Program event. Niantic joined LEGO Group and ILM Immersive as founding partners for shared AR experiences on Snap's AR platform.
• LEGO GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2024Partnership announced alongside ILM Immersive at Snap's Spectacles Developer Program event. LEGO Group joined Niantic and ILM Immersive as founding partners for shared AR experiences on Snap's AR platform.
• Disney's StudioLabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership between Marvel Studios, Disney's StudioLab, and ILM to create innovative immersive experiences such as the Real-Time Rocket Raccoon interaction at D23 Expo, using markerless motion capture technology.
• Marvel StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing creative partnership for Marvel immersive experiences including What If... An Immersive Story (Apple Vision Pro), Avengers: Damage Control (Downtown Disney), and Real-Time Rocket character experiences.
• MetacoreTechnology or IntegrationPlatform partnership for VR content distribution. ILM Immersive develops and distributes experiences for Meta Quest platform including Star Wars: Beyond Victory, Vader Immortal, and Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge.
• ApplecoreTechnology or IntegrationPlatform partnership for Apple Vision Pro. ILM Immersive developed What If... An Immersive Story for the Apple Vision Pro platform in collaboration with Marvel Studios and Disney+.
• Sony Interactive EntertainmentcoreTechnology or IntegrationPlatform partnership for PlayStation VR and PSVR2. ILM Immersive developed and distributes Vader Immortal and Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge for Sony's VR platforms.
• MSG SpherecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partnership for immersive productions at MSG Sphere in Las Vegas. ILM created Postcard from Earth (first immersive production for Sphere), U2:UV Achtung Baby Live, and Dead & Company: Dead Forever experiences for the venue.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Cosm: Cosm operates large-format immersive venues and shared-dome experiences and has built immersive content pipelines for sports and entertainment, positioning itself as a competitor to MSG Sphere-style venues. Directly comparable venue-side to ILM Immersive's MSG Sphere productions.
• Niantic: Niantic builds AR games and shared AR experiences (Pokémon GO, Ingress, Scaniverse) and was announced alongside ILM Immersive as a founding partner for Snap's Spectacles Developer Program on 2024-09-17. Comparable as a strategic partner in shared AR and a co-developer on Snap's platform.

Direct peers

• Sandbox VR: Sandbox VR operates a global chain of location-based VR entertainment centers offering premium immersive multiplayer experiences. Directly comparable as a location-based VR business with consumer-facing immersive entertainment focus.
• Within: Within (formerly Within VR, acquired by Meta) is a VR content studio and platform for narrative immersive experiences. Comparable to ILM Immersive's VR storytelling arm (Vader Immortal, Star Wars titles) across premium narrative VR content.
• TeamLab: teamLab creates immersive digital art installations and large-format projection experiences at permanent venues globally. Comparable to ILM Immersive in delivering permanent, revenue-generating immersive experiences at scale, including location-based attractions.
• Meow Wolf: Meow Wolf creates large-scale immersive art installations and experiential entertainment venues (e.g., House of Eternal Return, Convergence Station). Comparable to ILM Immersive in producing permanent, ticketed, immersive entertainment experiences using mixed-reality and theatrical techniques.
• Magnopus: Magnopus is an immersive content and experience studio producing VR, AR, mixed-reality, and location-based entertainment for premium venues, including work with Disney parks and Spaceships Earth-style attractions. Comparable to ILM Immersive across immersive content production, real-time rendering, and venue partnerships.
• Survios: Survios is a VR game and experience studio producing titles for Meta Quest, PlayStation VR, and other headsets. Comparable to ILM Immersive's consumer VR/AR distribution (Vader Immortal, Tales from the Galaxy's Edge) across major headset platforms.
• Zero Latency: Zero Latency operates free-roam, multi-player location-based VR experiences in venues worldwide. Comparable to ILM Immersive's location-based entertainment arm (Avengers: Damage Control, Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire) in delivering VR experiences at scale in physical venues.

Broad incumbents

• Walt Disney Imagineering: Walt Disney Imagineering is Disney's internal R&D and design arm for theme park attractions, rides, and immersive experiences. While within the same parent (Disney), it is the closest internal comparator for ILM Immersive's location-based entertainment (Avengers: Damage Control, Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire) at Disney venues.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ILMImmersive
• Facebookfacebook.com/ILMImmersive
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ilmimmersive

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ILM Immersive