At the beginning of the month celebrated virtual reality (VR) animation studio Baobab Studios announced its next project, bringing the legend of Baba Yaga to life. Today, the team has announced that Daisy Ridley (Star Wars, Murder on the Orient Express) has been cast in the lead role of Magda.
The news was revealed as part of Baobab Studios’ Work in Progress presentation at the Annecy International Animation Festival’s 2020 Online which began today.
Viewers play the main role in this reimagined tale, where their mother, the village chief, becomes deathly ill. So they’re tasked alongside their sister Magda to do what their village fears most – enter the forest where Baba Yaga dwells and get the cure. The only problem, the witch is sometimes a force for evil, sometimes a force for good, using her powers to halt the villager’s encroachment into her domain.
Viewers will have choices to make along the way, determining how the story will end and whether humanity and nature can find a balance.
Discussing the new project Ridley said in a statement.”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,”
“We are so fortunate to have Daisy breathe life into the role of Magda, as her talent and energy for the project fuels us all. She has such a way of always finding the right tone and delivering the most meaningful performance for any scene. Her work is such a huge inspiration to our animators,” adds Eric Darnell, Baobab Studios’ Co-founder/CCO and director of Baba Yaga.
Currently, Baobab Studios has said Baba Yaga will launch later this year across multiple formats. Previous titles like Bonfire and Crow: The Legend have appeared on Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR headsets. VRFocus will continue its coverage of Baba Yaga, reporting back with further updates.
