The renowned Lock Academy, a leading name in escape games in Paris, is set to launch an exciting new experience called Live Cinema. Developed to celebrate its 10th anniversary, this immersive adventure will debut in March 2026. Located in the heart of central Paris, this 550-square-meter facility offers an innovative concept: a 120-minute narrative escape game where each participant takes on the role of the protagonist in an interactive film. Before the grand opening, over 100 teams will have the chance to preview the experience starting in January 2026, by booking a session in one of the existing rooms at Lock Academy before the end of 2025.
Called Zone 51, the experience transports you across a variety of fictional worlds, from a dilapidated subway station to the interior of a government agency headquarters... However, you'll have to wait a bit longer for the full story behind it all.
This new adventure is aimed at both fans of classicescape games and players looking for a more immersive experience. If you love cinema, interactive storytelling, and large-scale sets, Live Cinema seems to tick all the boxes. It is suitable for groups of friends, families (with teenagers), or companies looking for an unusual team-building activity.
However, given the 120-minute duration and the large-scale setup (25 rooms, multiple sets), it's fair to say that the format is better suited to participants who are already familiar with escape games, or those who are willing to fully commit to the adventure.
The set required a major transformation: the set designers indicate on LinkedIn that they "transformed an empty room... into a subway platform with a crashed train!" for one of the key scenes in the escape game. This spectacular dimension shows that Live Cinema is not a standard 60-minute room, but a tailor-made, cinematic, and immersive project.
It is a "film in which YOU are the hero" concept, with actors, large sets, and several successive rooms, which requires different logistics and a different level of commitment to the game. You will need to book well in advance. The launch is scheduled for early 2026, with beta testing starting in January for around 100 teams who book before the end of 2025.
And for those who are new to this, a quick reminder: an escape game is a leisure activity where a team enters a (often themed) universe and has a limited amount of time to solve puzzles, find clues, manipulate objects, and progress toward a final goal (often escaping or completing a mission).
No information is available yet regarding the minimum age requirement to participate, so it will be necessary to check the exact age limit, number of players, accessibility for people with reduced mobility, and English translation when it opens. Please also note that it seems unlikely that this new adventure will be suitable for spontaneous arrivals without reservations, given the scale of the setup.
Live Cinema at Lock Academy stands out as a bold new offering in Paris’s escape room scene, blending large-scale sets, cinematic storytelling, and immersive player engagement. Be sure to book early if you want to join the beta tests ahead of its official launch in March 2026.
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Location
Lock Academy Châtelet
25 Rue Coquillière
75001 Paris 1
Access
M°1, 4, 7, 11, 14 Châtelet-les-Halles
Average duration
2 h
Official website
www.instagram.com
More information
Opening in early 2026.
