Fortnite launches ‘Movie Nite’ feature to show films in game

Fortnite, the video game which has grown from being one of the world’s most-played titles to become a genuine cultural phenomenon, has announced its latest multimedia crossover: film screenings.

On Friday June 26, the Epic-published game is testing a new feature dubbed ‘Movie Nite’. This will see one of three Christopher Nolan films – Inception, Batman Begins or The Prestige – broadcast within the game for players to watch from an in-world cinema screen.

The title and timing depends on territory (players in Germany will be shown The Prestige while French gamers will have two opportunities to watch Batman Begins, for example), with the publisher explaining in a blog post: “Navigating distribution rights for different countries and languages for full movies is challenging. As part of this first test, we wanted as many people to experience Movie Nite as possible. The film you’ll be able to watch will depend on your country, and unfortunately we couldn’t reach everyone with these screenings.

“We believe the idea of getting together with your friends and family at Party Royale to watch a movie is powerful and exciting, and we’re looking at ways to increase global participation in the future.”

The company added that the screenings will not be able to be live streamed on platforms like Twitch where it is regularly one of the most-watched games. The blog said: “Just like any theatre – there’s no broadcasting or recording these films during the show. So, make sure your crew is there live! Any streams or videos of these films will be subject to anti-piracy and DCMA regulations.”

This is the latest crossover event within Fortnite, following a summer of live music performances including a widely celebrated concert from rapper Travis Scott.