Andy Serkis is taking audiences somewhere traditional movies can’t with Nevatars, a 31-minute extended-reality experience premiering at Venice Immersive 2026. The project combines animation, virtual and mixed reality, and interactive storytelling to place digital characters into the viewer’s physical surroundings.
XR, or extended reality, is an umbrella term for immersive technologies including virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality. Nevatars uses XR glasses and installation technology, allowing viewers to interact with characters and objects while remaining aware of the real world around them.
The experience follows Aya, a young artist who hides her imperfect creations in a forgotten computer folder. When one of those abandoned characters escapes into her world, Aya must confront her perfectionism and rediscover the creativity she once tried to suppress.
The 2026 Venice Immersive program includes 68 projects from 26 countries, with Nevatars among 30 projects competing for awards. The experience features voices including Daisy Ridley, Josh Gad, Kathleen Turner and Serkis himself.
Andy Serkis’ Vision for Nevatars
For Serkis, Nevatars grew from a question about what happens to digital characters that never make it into a finished movie. “What happens to all the incredible concept art for characters that never get used?” he asked, describing the project as being born from “those digital rejects, hoping to be noticed.”
The idea had been developing at The Imaginarium since 2011, but it gained momentum when Google’s immersive production division approached Serkis and his collaborators about creating stories specifically suited to immersive technology.
The result is more than a technological experiment. Serkis describes the story as a parable about preserving creativity in a world where artists can feel pressured to create work that fits commercial expectations.
“We wanted a young spirit,” Serkis said, describing Aya as someone whose imagination is gradually threatened by the pressure to conform. The story ultimately encourages audiences to embrace their own creative instincts rather than chasing perfection.
Other Exciting Projects at Venice Immersive
Nevatars is only one of the ambitious projects showcased at Venice Immersive, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2026. The lineup demonstrates how XR is expanding beyond traditional virtual reality into new forms of storytelling and interactive entertainment.
Margot Robbie lends her voice to Galapagos: The Last Eden, while Omar Sy is attached to Artou. Mark Ruffalo voices Solwata, a project about climate refugees, and the lineup also includes Bowie: Unseen Unheard, built around rare photographs of David Bowie.
For families interested in how technology could change storytelling, Venice Immersive offers a fascinating glimpse at what entertainment might look like in the future. Instead of simply watching a story unfold on a screen, audiences may increasingly be able to step inside the story and interact with it.
