As movie studios and theater owners keep exploring premium formats as a way to lure ticket buyers, Warner Bros has set a multi-film partnership with “shared reality” venue operator Cosm.
First out of the gate under the deal is The Matrix, which will start screening June 6, with pre-sales starting in mid-April. The film came out on March 31, 1999. Future collaborations will also involve repertory/library titles, with the partners sharing ticket revenue.
Little Cinema, a creative studio founded by audiovisual artist Jay Rinsky, helped customize the new version of The Matrix to play in Cosm’s LED dome, which is 87 feet in diameter. (For a glimpse of the presentation, see a brief clip below.)
A Cosm spokesperson did not immediately comment on potential ticket prices, but Cosm is dynamic and depends on the demand for a particular event. For this year’s Super Bowl, the cost of some ticket packages approached $1,000, and many seats for this Saturday’s men’s college basketball Final Four are commanding more than $100. For a more conventional weekday NBA game, $30 to $35 is more common, while a handful of immersive films made to optimize the Cosm venue environment have seen tickets go for more than $50 for a double feature.
In addition to what’s onscreen, Cosm also markets the experience of watching something with other people, as well as food and beverage service and limited amounts of merchandise. The company launched in Los Angeles and Dallas, with plans to open locations in Atlanta and Dallas in 2026 and other markets down the line. The spaces combine permanent theater-style seating and wall-sized screens for communal viewing of a range of sports, live events and other programming, along with a more flexibly laid-out environment. Technology is integrated throughout the site.
The Warner-Cosm news comes on Day 1 of CinemaCon, which already saw AMC reveal plans to add 40 Dolby Cinema locations in the U.S., after earlier saying it would debut the ScreenX and 4DX formats.
“As we built this business, we were confident that live sports would thrive in shared reality, transporting fans to the sidelines of their favorite sport,” Cosm CEO Jeb Terry said. “Now with The Matrix, we’re expanding into cinema, transporting fans into the scenes of their favorite films. Instead of simply watching Neo enter the matrix, audiences will go with him, experiencing the journey like never before.”
Cosm raised $250 million last summer from investors including Avenue Sports Fund, led by former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry; and Rock, founded by Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert.
“Having been a part of The Matrix big screen experience since the first film completely transported audiences with its groundbreaking filmmaking technology and truly immersive storytelling, I can say on behalf of all of us at Warner Bros. that we wouldn’t miss this opportunity to partner with Cosm and Little Cinema to deliver yet another first to moviegoers,” Warner distribution president Jeff Goldstein said.
Here is a glimpse of the Matrix experience at Cosm:
