Not long after completing its “U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere” opening residency, U2 has announced the debut of its “V-U2 An Immersive Concert Film at Sphere Las Vegas,” directed by the Edge and Morgleigh Steinberg.
The shows, originally directed by Willie Williams, will be brought to Sphere starting on Sept. 5. U2 initially kicked off its residency last September at the state-of-the-art venue, playing for more than 700,000 fans for 40 dates through this past March.
“The goal was to give the immersive movie goers as close to the live U2:UV concert experience as possible — and then some,” says the Edge, who also produced the film alongside Bono, Adam Clayton and Alan Moloney. “I’ve never seen a U2 show. I’m so relieved I caught a great one.”
“V-U2” will be the first-ever film shot with Big Sky, a high-resolution camera system developed by Sphere Entertainment. To recreate the experience of what it was like attending one of the U2 shows, Sphere used immersive technologies including its 160,000 square foot display plane, Sphere Immersive Sound and haptic seats that vibrate.
“We knew all the tremendous capabilities of the technology, but we didn’t know what to expect from the process of making this film,” says Steinberg. “The work became a true collaboration between band, artists, producers, and technology teams. The end result is a cinematic experience that transports viewers into the energy and beauty of the live show.”
“V-U2 is a first-of-its-kind immersive film that will transport audiences back to U2’s groundbreaking live Sphere shows and make them feel like they are there,” says Josephine Vaccarello, EVP of Live at MSG Entertainment. “This concert film was created specifically for Sphere, and will utilize the venue’s technologies to create an experience that is only possible at this next-generation entertainment medium.”
Tickets for “V-U2” start at $100 and will reflect all-in pricing. They will first be made available to U2.com subscribers beginning on Aug. 22 at 10 a.m. PT through Ticketmaster. Sphere Inner Circle subscribers can access tickets starting on Aug. 22 at noon PT, while general sale starts on Aug. 23 at 10 a.m. PT.
From Variety US