The new escape room, based onJumanji: Welcome to the Jungleis a collaboration between Sony Pictures and 60out Escape Rooms.
TheJumanjiescape room is located at Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, California.Sony Pictures and 60out Escape Rooms worked together to create the attraction.It took 40 workers more than five months to design and build.
Although brands such as Ford, Google, and HBO have recently used escape games to promote projects, this is a first for Sony Pictures.
The room is built aroundJumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which opens in cinemas on 20thDecember 20.A group of teenagers discover an old video game console in the action-comedy movie and become swept into the game’s jungle environment.The film stars Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Karen Gillan and Kevin Hart.The escape room takes the concept thatJumanjiplaysyouone step further.
“TheJumanjifilms have always been about puzzle-solving and using your wits to survive," saysJamie Stevens. He is Executive Vice President Global Licensing at Sony Pictures Consumer Products. "In that way, the franchise is a perfect mix for escape rooms."
Escape rooms a win/win for brands
He says that Sony Picture Entertainment'sMatt Suserand 60out collaborated "to take that idea and execute it perfectly in a way that fans will truly appreciate.”
The escape room allows up to eight players an hour to puzzle the clues and unlock mysteries. However, the clock is ticking all the time. TheJumanjiroom is classed as a medium challenge and is open to all ages.
This kind of branded tie-in could herald an important part of the future in the escape room business. By its very nature, once you’ve solved an escape room, it’s not much fun to play it again.Themed installations like theJumanjiroom could therefore get around this ‘one and done’ syndrome.
Damian Bosiacki isDirector of Operations at 60out Escape Rooms. He says, "This project could very well pave the way for more immersive content being developed by studios for existing intellectual property and future projects,"
Sony Pictures Entertainment think the escape room is the ideal vehicle to drive excitement for a major movie release.The reasoning is that if fans can work their way out of theJumanji-themed room, most likely they will also want to seeJumanji: Welcome to the Junglein cinemas.Ifthey can't solve the puzzle, they will still have spent 60 minutes immersed in the environment of the film. It's a win-win.
According to Bosiacki, 60out has plans to open other Jumanji-themed escapes across the U.S.
Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Exclusive: Sony Pictures Opens Jumanji-Themed Escape Room In Los Angeles
Jade Craig
