The landmark mixed reality series will feature cutting-edge technology and immersive storytelling elements that blur the line between fiction and reality, bringing terrifying action sequences directly into viewers’ space.
● The chilling world of A24’s ‘Talk to Me’ will soon enter the realm of immersive storytelling, with an XR series from XRTV and Meta.
● The untitled immersive horror series will be created exclusively for Meta headsets.
● Shot entirely in 3D, the live-action series will also harness cutting edge mixed reality technology to map viewers’ environments and immerse them in the story.
● Described as “Euphoria with possession,” the series will span six half-hour immersive episodes about a group of young travelers chasing the ultimate party on a European island until they discover the Hand, a supernatural high deadlier than any drug.
● Set within the ‘Talk to Me’ universe, the series was conceived from a pitch by Darren Brandl (The Girl in the Woods) and Trent Atherton (The Wheel), with Atherton writing all six episodes.
● Craig William Macneill, whose body of work includes directing for Them, The Terror, Castle Rock, and Westworld, will direct all six episodes.
● Executive producers will be Darren Brandl and Jack Davis (for XRTV), Danny and Michael Philippou (for Racka Racka), Samantha Jennings and Kristina Ceyton (for Causeway Films), Andreas Michael Wentz and Juan Antonio Cano Trujillo (for Sur Film), and Jeff Rich producing for Meta.
● XRTV, a newly launched venture from Darren Brandl and Jack Davis (co-founders of Crypt TV), will serve as a studio in association with Causeway Films and Racka Racka.
BACKGROUND:
● XRTV is dedicated to producing immersive formats such as 3D, AR, VR, MR, and spherical screens, aiming to lead Hollywood’s shift toward what it calls “Spatial Cinema.”
● Brandl and Davis previously co-founded Crypt TV, the digital-first genre studio backed by Blumhouse and NBCUniversal. The company produced several hit series for Meta (The Birch) and built a global fanbase before being acquired by Brat TV last year.
● In 2024, Meta released The Faceless Lady, a six-part immersive 3D VR horror series from Darren Brandl, Jack Davis, Eli Roth and Crypt TV, produced with ShinAwiL and Light Sail VR.
● Danny & Michael Philippou broke out with their debut feature Talk to Me, produced by Causeway Films. A Sundance sensation, the film sparked a bidding war and became A24’s highest-grossing horror release, earning over $90M worldwide, with a sequel now in development.
● Darren Brandl, Co-Founder of XRTV:
● “The promise of “XR” is this idea that we can now map the story into your own space so you feel like you’re inside it. It’s a big leap past the previous 3D and Immersive shows we’ve produced, because now, the canvas is your living room. Its superpower is presence: that awe of being transported, the unsettling feeling that a demon is with you – in your room. Talk to Me is the perfect immersive IP because it’s about young adults who seek the Hand, to experience the euphoria of possession but end up tormented by breaking through to the spirit world. It made possession fun, and the scares unforgettable. Maybe we’re crazy, but we’re betting you’re going to want to feel possessed too, and with Meta’s new technology, we think for the first time you’ll believe it!”
● Samantha Jennings and Kristina Ceyton, Executive Producers, Causeway Films:
● “This ground breaking technology is opening up new frontiers and we are delighted to be working with world leaders Meta and XRTV. The concept of Talk To Me is perfectly suited to the exciting possibilities of new kinds of immersive storytelling and we can’t wait to see the results.”
●ABOUT META:
Meta is building the future of human connection, powered by artificial intelligence and immersive technologies. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward experiences that foster deeper connections and unlock new possibilities.
● ABOUT XRTV:
XRTV, the newly formed immersive studio from Darren Brandl and Jack Davis (co-founders of recently acquired Crypt TV), is producing stories for the future of screens. The studio aims to create breathtaking stories across immersive formats including 3D, AR, VR, MR, and live event based spherical venues.
● ABOUT RACKA RACKA:
In 2023, their debut feature Talk to Me had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival followed by its European premiere at Berlinale, then SXSW, and was immediately snapped up by powerhouse indie A24, and the brothers were praised by the likes of Jordan Peele, Steven Spielberg, Ari Aster and Stephen King. The film has since gone on to earn a staggering US$93.3 million worldwide.
Talk to Me is A24’s highest grossing horror film and second highest grossing feature in the company’s history. The movie has been nominated for 20 Critics Choice Awards and 11 AACTAs.
Most recently Danny & Michael’s new film Bring Her Back was released in the U.S. by A24 starring Oscar nominated actress Sally Hawkins and is due to be released worldwide this summer by Sony. The film has gone on to garner 89% positive reviews including a B+ Cinemascore and is already being talked about as the best horror film of the year. They’re currently finishing the A24 documentary DEATHMATCH about the hardcore underground world of death match wrestling.
● ABOUT CAUSEWAY FILMS:
Founded by Australian producing duo Kristina Ceyton and Samantha Jennings, CAUSEWAY FILMS is committed to empowering bold creative voices to achieve global success. The company launched with modern horror classic THE BABADOOK by Jennifer Kent at Sundance 2014. They are also the producers behind the breakout hit TALK TO ME (Sundance 2023) the debut feature by Danny & Michael Philippou, which sold to A24 and became the studio’s highest-grossing genre release with over US$92m box office worldwide.
Additional titles include Jennifer Kent’s THE NIGHTINGALE (2019), which won the Special Jury Prize at Venice Film Festival and Goran Stolevski’s debut YOU WON’T BE ALONE (Sundance 2022), which was Australia’s official submission for Best International Feature at the Academy Awards, as well as Stolevski’s subsequent films OF AN AGE (2022) and HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS (2024), which were all acquired by Focus Features.
Other notable productions include CARGO (2018, Yolanda Ramke & Ben Howling BUOYANCY (2019, Rodd Rathjen, two awards at Berlin), GOOD MADAM (2021, Jenna Cato Bass). Causeway’s latest release BRING HER BACK, the sophomore film by Danny & Michael Philippou, starring Sally Hawkins, was released by A24 and Sony in 2025 to critical and commercial success.
Upcoming films include THE FOX (2026, Dario Russo), DEATHMATCH (Danny & Michael Philippou), ALL THE BOYS ARE HERE (Goran Stolevski) and much-anticipated sequel TALK 2 ME.
