It seems like Mickey Mouse might be coming to the metaverse soon. The Chief Executive of Walt Disney Co, Bob Chapek described Disney’s vision for the metaverse as “next-generation storytelling”.
Speaking to Reuters at Disney’s biennial D23 Expo fan convention, Chapek said he wants to use the data gathered from theme park visits and consumers’ streaming habits to deliver personalized entertainment experiences, including from the company’s Marvel and Lucasfilm studios.
In another interview, Chapek said, “Disney is absolutely a lifestyle. The question is, how is our next-gen storytelling leveraging what we know about a guest uniquely in this Disney lifestyle, then serving up unique experiences.”
The company started laying the groundwork to explore new forms of storytelling over the past year. Furthermore, Disney appointed Mike White, a veteran media and tech executive, to oversee the newly created Next Generation Storytelling and Consumer Experiences unit.
White is tasked with developing a technological toolkit for Disney’s creative executives to employ.
White has also been considering using AR and other technologies to bring a new dimension to storytelling. An example of this is an eight-minute augmented reality film that premiered this week on Disney+.
Chapek believes that this “could be a real big catalyst for what’s going to show up there and, you know, five to 10 years.”
