New family-focused immersive films are coming to Cosm-powered dome theaters
New family-focused immersive films are heading to dome theaters powered by Cosm, expanding the growing library of wraparound-screen experiences available at planetariums, science museums, universities, and immersive entertainment venues across the country.
Eight new educational family films are coming to dome venues, theaters where a single screen wraps around the audience so everyone in the room is immersed in the media. Cosm announced the content partnership with Reef Distribution on April 28, 2026.
If you’re familiar with Sphere in Las Vegas, Nev., Cosm builds a smaller-scale version of the same idea (although they’re not the same company). Its dome screens are installed at planetariums, science museums, and Cosm’s own branded venues.
The Reef Distribution deal adds eight films to the library of titles Cosm makes available to those venues, bringing the catalog past 50 titles. Reef joins Moonraker VFX, Cosmic Picture, and the American Museum of Natural History as Cosm’s fourth studio partner.
Immersive dome theaters are becoming the next big attraction trend
Immersive dome theaters are starting to appear in more places beyond traditional planetariums, including science museums, entertainment districts, and dedicated attraction venues. With giant wraparound screens that surround much of the audience’s field of view, the format is increasingly being used for everything from live sports and concerts to family films and educational experiences.
Related article: World’s largest movie theater screen coming to Florida
How Cosm, the program, and Reef fit together
Cosm is a Los Angeles-based company that does two connected things:
- It runs its own branded dome theaters in Los Angeles, Calif., and Dallas, Texas. Guests buy tickets to watch live sports, concerts, and original immersive shows on a screen that wraps the entire room.
- It also builds and sells the dome technology used by planetariums, science museums, and universities around the world. Those buyers install Cosm’s dome screens and software in their own buildings.
Cosm technology is already being used at venues ranging from the Dorrance Planetarium at Arizona Science Center to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History’s renovated Omni Theater.
The Premium Media Program is Cosm’s content service for those venues. A planetarium or science museum running Cosm’s technology can subscribe to the program and rotate through films from the catalog, rather than paying for a single, long-term film license. I think of it as a Netflix-style subscription for dome theaters.
The eight new films
Reef’s titles for the Premium Media Program:
- Bambini Symphonique. A music-driven dome experience for young children that animates nursery rhymes from around the world.
- Bébé Symphonique. A gentler companion film aimed at infants, with soft visuals and classical-inspired compositions.
- Legend of the Enchanted Reef. A family-friendly conservation story about three fish searching for a new home.
- The Adventures of Dolores and Mike: The Life of Trees. An ecology-focused walk through how trees grow and connect, narrated by a ladybug and a firefly.
- Little Major Tom: Into the Unknown. A space adventure built around two young astronauts on a high-stakes training mission.
- The Secrets of Gravity: In the Footsteps of Albert Einstein. An educational journey through Einstein’s life and the basics of gravity, space, and time.
- Starcatcher. A musical fairy tale inspired by the Brothers Grimm.
- The Pretty Cool Space Movie. An all-ages tour of planets, nebulae, black holes, and exoplanets.
Photo courtesy of Cosm.
Kirk Johnson, chief operating officer at Cosm, said the additions are intended to provide flexibility for partner venues.
“Reef Distribution brings a dynamic slate of family-friendly and educational fulldome films that enhances the versatility of our award-winning catalog,” Johnson said. “By introducing stories that span science, nature, and imaginative storytelling, this partnership enables our global partners to deliver more engaging, accessible experiences for audiences of all ages.”
In other words, the planetariums and science museums showing Cosm’s films now have more titles to rotate through and more reasons for visitors to come back.
Photo courtesy of Cosm.
Why this matters for theme park fans
Theme park fans are familiar with massive media screens (though it’s often a love-or-hate relationship). From Soarin’ to ‘Fast And Furious – Supercharged,’ the concept of media that surrounds you has crept throughout the theme park ecosystem. Theme park leaders speaking at the Themed Entertainment Association’s recent INSPIRE conference highlighted how experiences are designed to live across media, destinations, and formats.
Media screens act as a dynamic background, allowing the story to flow from the in-person to the background and back. While this Cosm deal doesn’t directly impact theme parks today, the proliferation of massive media screens and content reduces costs and enables greater innovation across the entire themed entertainment space.
What’s next
The eight Reef Distribution titles will roll out to participating Premium Media Program venues through 2026. For planetariums, science museums, and Cosm’s own venues, the new titles are immediate programming. For more information on the Premium Media Program and the new Reef Distribution slate, visit cosm.com and reef-distribution.com.
Follow us:
No matter where you want to go, our trusted partner MEI-Travel will handle the planning so you can focus on the memories. They offer free vacation-planning services and have nearly 20 years of experience creating memorable vacations. Visit MEI-Travel for a fee-free, no-obligation quote today.
