Shaq to Host New Year’s Eve VR Special on Meta Platforms - Variety

Shaquille O’Neal emceeing a New Year’s Eve enactment — and you’re invited to acquisition it successful VR.

“The Shaq-tacular Spectacular” is simply a one-hour peculiar produced for Meta’s VR and societal platforms. The recorded lawsuit volition watercourse connected Dec. 31 successful a repeating loop — each nighttime — featuring philharmonic acts, personage amusement and “an epic neon-light performance” implicit with a DJ acceptable from Shaq himself. The countdown peculiar features performances by Cardi B, Ludacris, Lil Yachty, Killer Mike, Whipped Cream and DJ Diesel (O’Neal’s deejay signifier name), on with appearances by erstwhile NFL subordinate Rob Gronkowski and exemplary Camille Kostek.

Shaq’s New Year’s Eve lawsuit volition premiere Saturday, Dec. 31, astatine 3:30 p.m. PT, successful VR successful Meta Horizon Worlds and connected Meta Quest TV, disposable successful the Meta Quest 2 headset, arsenic good arsenic connected O’Neal’s Facebook and Instagram pages and successful Messenger’s Watch Together.

“This twelvemonth we’re ringing successful 2023 with caller experiences and connections. I’m excited to observe with immoderate of my favourite artists and athletes successful a mode that you tin bask with friends and household successful VR crossed the world,” Shaq said successful a statement. “From music, laughs and overmuch more, we’re celebrating New Year’s Eve and welcoming 2023 with a spectacular enactment you won’t privation to miss!”

The acceptable features a roller rink, hoops tribunal and main stage. In summation to the featured performers, the festivities volition see a marching band, cheerleaders, pro roller skaters, hoops players and fans. “The Shaq’tacular Spectacular” besides volition see dance-offs, which VR users volition beryllium capable to replicate successful the virtual experience.

The peculiar is produced by Westbrook Media, Media.Monks and O’Neal’s Jersey Legends Productions, successful concern with Meta. The task continues Meta’s VR amusement push, designed to thrust radical into the “metaverse,” pursuing others including a virtual performance with a computer-generated avatar of precocious rapper the Notorious B.I.G., “Eli Roth’s Haunted House: Trick-VR-Treat,” starring Vanessa Hudgens, and a VR acquisition based connected Jordan Peele’s “Nope.”

“Virtual world has go specified an breathtaking caller mode to acquisition and enactment successful and prosecute with amusement and culture,” Westbrook Media president Brad Haugen said. “We are thrilled to spouse with Shaq, the squad astatine Jersey Legends, Media.Monks and Meta and invitation audiences to walk New Year’s Eve with immoderate of their favourite performers and athletes successful a mode that genuinely allows them to consciousness similar they are successful the country too. The amusement has electrifying performances, hilarious and competitory games and it’s been truthful amusive for america to research each that we tin bash successful this space.”