Fortnite movie night: How to watch Christopher Nolan's Inception live

A few weeks after the trailer for his mind-bending science fiction thriller Tenet premiered in the popular battle royale game, three of Christopher Nolan's most popular movies are now screening in the game as part of an ongoing experiment by developer Epic Games.

Depending on your region, you can join hundreds of Fortnite players in watching Batman Begins (2005), The Prestige (2006), and Inception (2010) in the non-combat social realm, Party Royale. There are three screenings foir today only, Friday, June 26.

Here's exactly how to watch Nolan's movies in Fortnite and what movie you're getting.

How to watch Christopher Nolan movies in Fortnite

The screenings take place today, Friday, June 26 at three separate times. They are held in the Fortnite party playlist, Party Royale. If you're not familiar, this is a permanent playlist in the game, with its own map and landmarks including a huge central stage with a screen. It is a non-combat zone, meaning you cannot kill other players. It is meant to be a place for communal experiences; an immersive Travis Scott concert was held in the same spot last month.

Due to labyrinthine distribution rights, Epic Games is screening three different Nolan movies depending on regions. While most of the worldwide community, including those in North America, will watch Inception, other places will instead screen Batman Begins, the first movie in Nolan's blockbuster Batman trilogy, or The Prestige, Nolan's 2006 thriller based on the 1995 novel by Christopher Priest. You can check what movie is screening for your region here.

I love imagining the conversation someone had to have with Christopher Nolan about Fortnite. I picture a flustered assistant with a printed Word document talking to the acclaimed director, whose reputation for pure cinema is reaching toxic levels during the pandemic, over morning tea.

"And what is, 'Flossing?'" asks Nolan over a hot cuppa.

When can I watch the movies in Fortnite?

Due to regions and time zones, you'll have to check for your specific region the schedules for the screenings. For North America, Inception is screening at 8 a.m. Eastern, 8 p.m. Eastern, and for you night owls, one more screening at 11:55 p.m. Eastern.

What is the experience like?

As this is an ongoing experiment by Epic Games, you can imagine the experience is more of a novelty than something definitive. The basic gist is that, akin to an outdoor movie in your neighborhood park, you arrive at the big screen and simply pick a spot to rest your character. You also can't sit down, unfortunately, and the way your camera follows your avatar means you might find yourself constantly adjusting for the right view.

As Kotaku described it: "My avatar kept getting in the way of my actually seeing the screen, and I had to continually adjust myself, which made me feel restless."

Also, on some level a movie like Inception — a surreal heist film that turns dreams into a sandbox realm — is perfect for Fortnite. It's also tonally dissonant, given Nolan's characteristically cold British exterior clashing with a virtual world reminiscent of a Looney Tunes short and a bunch of Deadpools dancing next to you. Still, if players are satisfied and want more, you might be looking at a new way of going to the movies — one that is a lot safer than real theaters at the moment.