A cyberpunk back alley dreamed up in a Kommetjie studio during South Africa’s hardest lockdown days is now up for one of television’s most prestigious honours.
Uncanny Alley: A New Day, a collaboration between Cape Town immersive studio Virtual Worlds Company and Los Angeles-based Ferryman Collective, is one of three nominees in the Outstanding Emerging Media Program category at the Primetime Emmys.
It competes against Blumhouse Enhanced Cinema and The World of Fallout.
A world built for lockdown, now bound for LA
The virtual reality theatre production runs inside VRChat, a social VR platform. Audiences play escaped detainees fleeing a corporation intent on erasing its citizens’ memories, guided by two live actors who play 15 characters in real time.
No two performances unfold the same way.
The Uncanny Alley universe emerged in 2020, when South African artist and worldbuilder Rick Treweek, known online as MetaRick, created it during the country’s strict initial COVID-19 lockdowns.
Unable to gather in person, he built a place where people could stand next to each other again. The project has since grown into a notable entry in South Africa’s wider TV and film sector.
“My biggest struggle’s always been my conditioning that my stuff is too weird and no one will like it, so it’s only for me,” Treweek says. “But eventually I realised it’s my weird moonlighting projects that bring me the most success.”
From Kokstad curiosity to a global stage
Treweek, who grew up in Kokstad and now lives in Kommetjie, will be in the audience at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater when the winner is announced on Saturday, September 5, 2026.
South Africa has become a regular presence at the Emmys. At the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2024, ‘The Daily Show With Trevor Noah‘ brought home the award for Outstanding Talk Series, the show’s first win since Jon Stewart’s exit.
For South Africans eyeing a similar path, Treweek points to Electric South’s labs as the continent’s leading launchpad for immersive content. His advice is simple: “Remove the fear. Whatever you break, you can build again.”
More on the project is available at uncannyalley.io.
Watch the trailer:
