The return of movie theaters is being greeted with an enhanced experience via a partnership between AT&T and Cinemark that enables customers to have an immersive augmented reality (AR) experience with movie cartoon characters
Pose with the Tune Squad, which launched this month, is timed for the release of “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” which stars LeBron James, at three Texas theaters. The attraction, which is sponsored by AT&T, enables patrons to “pose” with WarnerMedia’s Looney Tunes characters. The movie opens on Friday at the Legacy and West Plano in Plano and Memorial City in Houston.
Moviegoers approaching the AT&T sponsored AR kiosk screen will be encouraged by the Tune Squad characters – Bugs Bunny and friends – to scan a QR code. That will send them to a secure website at which they will select their desired character and enter their email and phone number.
The fans are encouraged to strike a pose and the characters will “walk in” and the picture is taken. The image, with a customized Cinemark hashtag, will be sent to the movie going.
The kiosk uses a Nighthawk 5G hotspot to attempt to connect to the local AT&T 5G sub-6 network, but may fall back to LTE if it isn’t available, according to AT&T. The kiosks are built on AT&T XR (Extended Reality Solutions), which help enable AR, VR and Mixed Reality applications
“As streaming continues to be a mainstay in our lives, unique and shared experiences elevate what movie theaters can give fans through fully immersing them in a story,” AT&T’s Senior Vice President Mo Katibeh said in a press release. “Imagine a future of being immersed in an entertainment experience tailored specifically to you that begins from the moment you walk into a cineplex. This is the beginning of many exciting possibilities and the Cinemark collaboration is an example of how AT&T, through our 5G network, is working to bring solutions from across our company to help companies transform their business.”
The mobile industry is working hard to build momentum – and use cases – for emerging technology. In December, AT&T 5G network and Ericsson supported a performance by musician Axel Mansoor. The sophisticated event featured live streaming, machine learning, edge computing, 3D and AR in addition to 5G.
