HMNS & Base Xperiential to Unveil First-Ever Holotheater

August 29, 2022—The Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) and BASE Xperiential are excited to announce a major partnership to unveil the world’s first-ever HoloTheater and its premiere experience, Dinosaur Discoveries: A Holographic Adventure, debuting in November.

The historic Wortham Giant Screen Theatre has long been a major attraction at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. This fall, stunning laser-projection, video mapping, three-dimensional holographic imagery and live action entertainment come together to transform the theater into a first-of-its-kind HoloTheater. Two robust side-screen projection surfaces will complement the museum’s massive 60-by-80-foot screen to bring to life a panoramic, immersive cinema experience.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Houston Museum of Natural Science for the HoloTheater world premiere,” said Ryan Latham, BASE Xperiential’s Executive Vice President of Location-Based Experiences and Managing Director of HoloTheater. “Without requiring headsets or glasses, HoloTheater delivers an innovative and educational story-telling experience that provides audiences with a firsthand account of the incredible breakthroughs in history, culture and scientific discovery.”

BASE Xperiential has partnered with Paquin Entertainment Group to produce the premier HoloTheater production. Paquin is a global leader in immersive exhibitions, including the highly successful Beyond Van Gogh, Beyond Monet and the newest production, National Geographic’s Beyond King Tut: The Immersive Experience.

“Our partnership with Base Xperiential and Dinosaur Discoveries is a natural extension and evolution of a new and revolutionary ‘edutainment’ format, and we couldn’t be prouder to support BASE Xperiential with the launch in Houston,” added Gilles Paquin, C.E.O. of Paquin Entertainment Group.

HoloTheater: The Next Evolution of Immersive Storytelling
To deliver this groundbreaking audience experience, BASE Xperiential partnered with the renowned, visual design firm Digital Flodur. Together, BASE Xperiential and Digital Flodur can transform museum theaters, exhibition spaces, zoos, aquariums and a wide variety of mixed-use venues into dynamic, sensory-rich, mixed-reality attractions.

“Our HoloTheater can turn any existing theater or under-utilized space into a 21st century hologram-driven, must-see attraction,” said Latham. “We are developing a diverse slate of educational content that brings audiences deeper into the thrill of engagement than ever before.” Dinosaur Discoveries will be the first of many family-friendly shows, spanning the worlds of natural history, space exploration, our oceans, and so much more.

The producing team tapped Geoffrey M. Curley + Associates/Artisans X to lead the creative direction for Dinosaur Discoveries, along with expert paleontologists of Houston Museum of Natural Science for curatorial input and educational fact checking.

“HoloTheater productions will be entirely unique, visually stimulating and realistic,” said Dinosaur Discoveries Creative Producer Geoffrey Curley. “This approach to historic storytelling resonates with guests of all ages.”

“Dinosaur Discoveries transports audiences millions of years ago to the natural environment of dinosaurs while bringing them closer to these creatures than ever before,” said Steve Sterling, Executive Producer of Dinosaur Discoveries and formerly with ABC Television, SONY and Live Nation. “Imagine the breathtaking feeling when a 35-foot-tall dinosaur enters the theater with you. This is the type of must-see attraction that HoloTheater will deliver.”

“HoloTheater is this generation’s leap into the future of cinematic entertainment,” said Eric Stevens, Executive Producer of Dinosaur Discoveries and a former executive with Disney and Dreamworks. “We have revolutionized the guest experience, delivering dynamic storytelling that not only entertains but informs and inspires audiences of all ages. We could not think of a better way to launch this attraction than to put audiences face-to-face with these breathtaking larger-than-life creatures.”