Unreal Engine 5.5: A Game-Changer for Hollywood and Beyond

Epic Games unveils Unreal Engine 5.5 at Unreal Fest

Epic Games has once again pushed the boundaries of digital creation with the debut of Unreal Engine 5.5 at their annual Unreal Fest event. This latest iteration of the game-building tool is not just for creating AAA game titles but is also making significant strides in the world of big-budget, VFX-heavy productions. Shows like The Mandalorian and the upcoming Amazon series Secret Level by Tim Miller are prime examples of how Unreal Engine is revolutionizing Hollywood.

MegaLights: A leap in lighting technology

One of the standout features introduced in Unreal Engine 5.5 is the experimental MegaLights. This new technology allows creators to use an unprecedented number of lights in their scenes—all movable, dynamic, and capable of producing realistic area shadows and volumetric fog. This is a significant leap from the previous limitations, where only a handful of lights could be used without compromising performance.

Bridging the gap between gaming and filmmaking

Kim Libreri, Epic Games’ Chief Technology Officer and a VFX mastermind behind The Matrix franchise, highlighted the transformative impact of Unreal Engine on filmmaking. “When I started at Epic 10 and a half years ago, there was a big void between the way you would create content for a game versus a movie,” Libreri explained. “Movies tend to not worry about polygon budgets or texture budgets as much. With MegaLights, you can literally put 1,000 lights in a scene without worrying about performance. Unreal Engine does all the calculations, and you get a beautiful looking image.”

Directors embrace Unreal Engine

During the Unreal Fest panel, directors Tim Miller (Deadpool, Love, Death + Robots) and Wes Ball (Maze Runner, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes) shared their experiences with Unreal Engine. Miller discussed how he utilized the tool for his new Amazon series, Secret Level, which features famous video game IPs and was made using some of those games’ actual builds in Unreal Engine.

“If I was to put it in shorthand for Hollywood folks, I would say this: the saying that every director knows—you make your movie in prep,” Miller said. “The tools that they’re adding to Unreal allow you to preview your movie, build whole sequences at a high quality, and get everyone on the same page. The better the previs looks, the better the final product.”

A new era of fan creations with UEFN

Epic Games also announced a partnership with Paramount to bring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe into Fortnite. This collaboration allows players to build their own games featuring the IP using Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN). Saxs Persson, Epic’s UEFN chief, elaborated on the goals of this intersection between Hollywood and Unreal.

“We’re trying to broaden what it means to be a creator and what tools you have access to,” Persson said. “The collaboration with Paramount is all about giving access to ‘Turtles,’ allowing creators to make and publish their own games. This is transformative for fan creations and new IP development.”

Reviving IPs through innovative storytelling

Tim Miller’s Secret Level is also breathing new life into Sony’s Concord, a short-lived PlayStation live services game. The series will feature new content tied to the game, offering fans a unique way to experience it. “I would hope that people see something about the game that sparks re-interest,” Miller said. “The team was great to work with, and we had a really good time.”

Looking ahead: Unreal Engine 6

While Unreal Engine 5.5 is still in previews, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney hinted at plans for Unreal Engine 6 during the presentation. Miller expressed high hopes for the future, emphasizing the need for further advancements to bridge the gap between Hollywood and gaming VFX communities.

“We’re pretty close to parity with a lot of the tools you can get with non-real-time rendering,” Miller said. “We need another level of iteration to integrate Unreal content with live action seamlessly. We’re on the slopes of the other side of the uncanny valley, but we’re not across it yet. Any tools that help us get there will be invaluable.”

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