TheaterEars has announced the launch of The Director’s Experience, a first-of-its-kind real-time director’s commentary available to audiences during theatrical screenings. The inaugural title features acclaimed filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller providing commentary for their new film Project Hail Mary, now playing in theaters nationwide.
Available exclusively in the theater through TheaterEars, The Director’s Experience for Project Hail Mary marks the first time audiences can access a synchronized director’s commentary during a film’s theatrical run. Director’s commentaries have historically been available only on home video releases, months or years after a film’s theatrical window. The Director’s Experience brings that tradition into the theater itself, creating a new reason for audiences to return to the cinema and experience a film they love from a completely new perspective.
The Director’s Experience is available free through the TheaterEars app (iOS and Android) at any theater screening Project Hail Mary. Audiences download the app, connect their personal earbuds or headphones, and press play when the film begins. TheaterEars’ proprietary technology syncs the commentary to the film in seconds. The audience hears Lord and Miller’s real-time commentary through their earbuds while experiencing the film’s full theatrical audio through the theater’s speaker system—creating an intimate, additive layer that enhances the theatrical experience without altering it.
Unlike traditional DVD or Blu-ray commentary tracks, which replace or compete with the film’s audio, The Director’s Experience is designed specifically for the theatrical environment. Lord and Miller’s commentary is professionally mixed and mastered for personal listening devices, timed to complement the film’s visual storytelling during moments between dialogue. The result is the experience of having the filmmakers in the seat next to you, sharing the creative decisions, near-misses, and stories behind every scene.
The Director’s Experience for Project Hail Mary is available at any theater screening the film in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Audiences need only a smartphone (iOS or Android), earbuds or headphones, and a ticket to the film. To access The Director’s Experience, audiences download the free TheaterEars app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, select Project Hail Mary, choose “Director’s Experience” as their audio track, connect their earbuds, and press play when the film begins. TheaterEars syncs automatically. In addition to The Director’s Experience, TheaterEars offers Spanish-language audio and audio descriptions for Project Hail Mary and a growing library of titles, supporting exhibitors’ accessibility and inclusivity goals at no cost to theaters on its ad-supported app.
“The theatrical experience is the most powerful way to watch a film, and The Director’s Experience makes it even more powerful,” said Dan Mangru, the chief executive officer of TheaterEars. “For the first time, audiences can hear the filmmakers’ creative process in real time, in the theater, on the biggest screen possible. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are the perfect filmmakers to launch this platform—they’re brilliant storytellers, genuinely funny, and they’ve recorded a commentary that gives you things you cannot get anywhere else. This is not a bonus feature. It’s a new way to experience cinema.”
“We’re so excited people are watching and rewatching Project Hail Mary in theaters that we cooked up a treat for those of you who want to know more about the movie. It will be as if you’re sitting right next to your ol’ pals Chris and Phil in the theater, except without us sticking our grubby mitts in your popcorn.” said Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the directors of Project Hail Mary.
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