Cirque du Soleil's Worlds Away premieres in Montreal

In another first for Cirque du Soleil, the circus giant has teamed up with film director James Cameron to release its first theatrical film, Worlds Away.

Executive producer Jacques Methé says the idea for the film was hatched five years ago, but Cirque du Soleil had to wait for technology to evolve to translate the desired experience for the big screen.

"What you will see on the screen is really made for 3D," said Methé.  "We made this thing using real 3D — real stereoscopy, as opposed to the electronically-cheated processes."

Unlike Cirque's live shows, known for their ensemble performances, Worlds Away has a star performer, acrobat-actor Erica Linz.

Linz said finding herself front and centre of a Cirque act is a new experience.

"It is very strange to be in this position and weird not to be in crazy Cirque du Soleil make-up, wigs and costumes — to be sort of a normal person," said Linz.  "Maybe I don't spend that much time thinking about it, because it's too scary."

Like all Cirque shows, there is almost no dialogue in Worlds Away.

However, there is a narrative thread that has Linz leading the audience through seven Las Vegas-based shows: O, Ka, Love, Mystère, Zumanity, Believe and Viva Elvis.

"In the mix when we decided to do this was indeed the idea that this would give access to a wider public access to our Las Vegas shows," said Methé.  "It is true that not everyone can afford to travel or to buy the tickets."

Academy Award-winning producer and director James Cameron, who explored the use of the new 3D technology in Avatar, also had a hand in Worlds Away as executive producer.