Star Wars star Daisy Ridley is set to star in an upcoming Virtual Reality project titled Baby Yaga being produced by Baobab Studios.

In Baba Yaga, “the viewer is the main character of a dark and mystic fairytale in which their choices impact the ending of the story. Users will follow their 10-year-old sister Magda, voiced by Ridley, as the two girls search a magical forest for a plant that can cure their mother’s sickness, but must be wary of the witch who lives there, Baba Yaga.”

The VR experience is being directed by Eric Darnell, and he said in a statement:

“It’s easy to get caught up in the spectacle of a ‘Star Wars’ film and not to think about the talent of the actors. It’s even more remarkable when you know that she is standing in front of a greenscreen in a sound studio. For us, to have the opportunity to work with her was huge. Certainly, she is a big name, but for me, it’s always great when you work with wonderful actors. Often actors earlier in their careers can be quite insecure. Daisy, on the other hand, is centered and confident, and is a collaborator.”

Darnell also talked about the advances in technology saying that they “allow us to tell stories where the viewer is inside the narrative, where they feel that they truly matter, and the choices they make are truly meaningful.”

Ridley offered her own statement, saying:

“Baobab is at the very forefront of VR and interactive animation, so it’s been exciting to work with Eric and the team to bring such a beautiful story to life. I love playing Magda, because she is brave, vulnerable and fiercely protective of her family all at the same time. The idea that the viewer will be able to genuinely interact with my character in this magical world and help steer the course of the narrative is so amazing.”

Baobab CEO Maureen Fan talked about the project as well, saying:

“Eric explained it to me this way years ago. You see a little girl alone crying on a park bench and she’s clearly too young to be alone. If it’s in a film you feel bad for her, but you aren’t going to get out of your seat to try and help her, you know it’s not real. In a game you talk to her, but because you have a goal and you’re motivated by what you want to accomplish. In real life though, you would talk to her because you genuinely care about her, are worried about her and want to help her.”

Fan explained that the vision for Baobab is “to create experiences that have the empathy of film with the agency of games, but motivated by the real life emotions of a viewer who cares about the characters and the story, not because they are trying to win something.”

Source: Variety