Burbank-based Venture 10 Studio Group and Venice-based Pangea Entertainment Productions announced a new virtual reality-based dating show called “Lovatar” in June.
“Putting yourself forth in this virtual space and then being peeled away and discovered in real life and creating those relationships is really this new experiment in regards to dating shows,” said Pangea co-Chief Executive Julia Zarro.
Lovatar’s premise is an amalgamation of several reality shows. Contestants meet and date each other as avatars – as animals, mythical creatures or any visual other than themselves – in a virtual reality environment. When two contestants are ready to date in the real world, they meet in person and determine if they can cultivate the same relationship they had in VR.
“The show is not about dating in a VR world,” said John Stevens, chief executive of V10 Entertainment. “The show really captures this ongoing concern of people that date and really live their lives dating online and not interfacing with people. They are dating virtually and they’re building relationships virtually. And this show gives them the opportunity to look at dating both ways.”
Behind Lovatar is private equity firm V10 Entertainment, which acquired Venture 10 Studio Group and its asset Vin Di Bona Productions (which produces the show “America’s Funniest Home Videos”) in 2023. It’s also produced by Pangea Entertainment Studios, whose team includes former AOL chief executive Jon Miller.
The concept isn’t too far-fetched. Studios have become increasingly enamored with tech-assisted reality shows, which allow the audience to watch people navigate misinformation, deepfakes and complex social politics both online and in person. Netflix’s “The Circle” surged in popularity during the pandemic as contestants forged alliances, friendships and enemies from the comfort of their apartments. Another Netflix show, “Deep Fake Love,” requires contestants to determine if footage of their partner cheating is real or fake.
“The younger the audience, the more natural it is for them to go virtual. And not only that, but their shift back and forth between the real world and virtual world is much more natural,” Nir Ben-Lavi, co-Chief Executive of Pangea, said. “Our age is integrated in the digital world. They were born into it.”
VR has come a long way in terms of sophisticated visuals and seamless social interactions. In 2021, one couple got married in VR. Several game studios have created VR-specific dating platforms. TRIPP, a Los Angeles-based VR startup, acquired one of the largest VR group meditating platforms back in 2022.
“Technology is all about helping, it’s the aid,” Zarro, who previously worked with Disney, Amazon and Microsoft-owned Xbox, said. “It’s not the all-out experience. The experience comes from the technology.”
