Daisy Ridley, who played ‘Rey’ in the recent Star Wars sequel trilogy, has been tapped to star in an upcoming VR experience, which is slated to arrive on Quest in March.

As reported in a Hollywood Reporter exclusive, the experience is called Trailblazer: The Untold Story of Mrs. Benz, which recants the story of 19th century German automotive pioneer Bertha Benz—the first person to drive an internal combustion engine automobile over a long distance, and wife of Carl Benz, creator of the Benz Patent-Motorwagen from 1885.

Image courtesy Hiroyuki Tsutsumi, via Hollywood Reporter

The VR experience, which is slated to arrive on Quest 2 and above on March 7th, is being directed by Emmy-nominated Eloise Singer from UK-based Singer Studios, which also developed narrative VR experience The Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend (2024), starring Lucy Liu.

Ridley, who plays the role of Bertha Benz, will join Singer and Lesley Paterson as executive producers when Trailblazer is made into a film and graphic novel series.

SEE ALSO
Indie Hit 'Clone Drone in the Danger Zone' is Getting a VR-exclusive Sequel Next Month

“Bertha’s determination and courage are incredibly inspiring,” Ridley tells Hollywood Reporter. “It’s been such a privilege to step into her world and help tell her story. I hope audiences are as moved by her journey as I was while working on this project.”

Trailblazer: The Untold Story of Mrs. Benz is said to “invite audiences to step into Bertha’s shoes, explore her workshop and assemble the engine that reshaped transportation forever.”

While the VR experience first premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2022 and SXSW in 2023, that was before plans were revealed that Ridley would be attached to the project.

Newsletter graphic

This article may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product we may receive a small commission which helps support the publication. More information.

Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.