Even when COSM pushes boundaries, restraint remains part of the process. “If we don’t cross the line, then we haven’t pushed hard enough,” Shintani admits, but that experimentation is always followed by recalibration. Rinsky describes the internal debates over motion, intensity, and comfort, asking whether certain moments should feel disorienting because “that’s what the film is trying to do,” or whether dialing it back better preserves the experience.
For the COSM team, the future of theatrical exhibition isn’t about competing with streaming on convenience—it’s about offering something that streaming fundamentally cannot. At the heart of their thinking is togetherness. “The whole shared reality is really about how do we get people to enjoy something together again,” says Shintani, pointing to the cultural shift toward isolated viewing at home. The goal, he explains, is to create “an experience that you can’t have anywhere else,” one that justifies leaving the house not for content, but for connection.
Jay Rinsky frames the future of cinema as a hybrid form, borrowing from multiple disciplines rather than clinging to tradition. COSM’s Shared Reality productions, he says, sit somewhere between “a traditional cinema, a Broadway musical, and a theme park ride,” with the film remaining firmly at the center. That hybridization opens new creative and commercial possibilities, allowing legacy films to feel contemporary again without being remade or rebooted. Instead of treating older titles as retrospectives, COSM presents them as events—experiences that audiences will pay for, travel to, and talk about afterward.
Wonka-themed cocktails served at COSM during Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in Shared Reality.
“‘The film is the hero, and we don’t want to mess with the intent of the film.’”
Alexis Scalise views this evolution as complementary rather than competitive. New releases will always matter, she notes, but Shared Reality allows studios to “bring back and reinvigorate” classics while strengthening long-term fan engagement. In an “experiential society,” she argues, audiences want to relive meaningful stories collectively, especially across generations. The most telling sign of success isn’t technology or ticket sales, but reaction: “I love getting applause at the end. If we’re evoking an emotion out of people, then we know that we’ve definitely done something.” For the panel, that emotional, communal response is the clearest indicator of where the theatrical experience must go—and why formats like Shared Reality may represent not a novelty, but a necessary evolution.
For audiences curious to experience what Shared Reality feels like firsthand with its current offerings—The Matrix and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory—COSM is operating venues in Los Angeles at Hollywood Park in Inglewood and in Dallas at Grandscape in The Colony, with new locations planned for Atlanta and Detroit. Tickets, showtimes, and upcoming releases—including Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone—can be found at www.cosm.com. If cinema promises to transport audiences somewhere else, COSM makes a strong case that this is where theatrical storytelling is headed next.
