Today we’re excited to share more details about ‘Henry’, the second VR experience from Oculus Story Studio.

‘Henry’ is a comedy directed by Ramiro Lopez Dau, formerly of Pixar, about a cuddly hedgehog who loves hugs. Unfortunately, his prickly spikes often scare his friends away. Then, on his birthday, he makes a special wish that changes everything.

Short sneak peek into the making of ‘Henry’

“Empathy for a character is one of the most important fields for us to explore in virtual reality. And with Henry, we wanted to create a character that had special bond with the audience.

The first time I saw Henry in VR – saw him turn towards me and look right at me – it was incredible. I knew then that we were at the beginning of something special.

These characters in VR can feel truly alive, and Henry is a first glimpse of that magic.”– Ramiro Lopez Dau

With ‘Henry’, we wanted to bring the audience closer to a film character than ever before. Led by former Pixar VFX supervisor Inigo Quilez, ‘Henry’ introduces advanced visual effects that bring the character to life, allowing him to respond to your movements and make eye contact with you inside the virtual world.

The story of ‘Henry’ is narrated by special guest, Elijah Wood!

We introduced ‘Henry’ to the film community in Hollywood, and we’re looking forward to sharing the experience with everyone when the Rift ships in Q1 2016.

You can learn more about VR filmmaking on the Oculus Story Studio website.

— The Oculus Team