In an era where technology continuously shapes new forms of storytelling, the sky itself is becoming the next great canvas for live entertainment. Hollywood legend Jeffrey Katzenberg—renowned for his role in bringing to life iconic animated characters like Shrek and Simba—has set his sights skyward. Collaborating with entrepreneur and restaurateur Kimbal Musk, Katzenberg is now on a mission to revolutionize how we experience stories, launching a new chapter for live, immersive entertainment through Nova Sky Stories.

Nova Sky Stories, founded by Kimbal Musk, is pioneering the future of live events with large-scale drone light shows that turn the night sky into a living, animated spectacle. The company first made major waves by acquiring Intel’s drone business and its impressive fleet of 9,000 drones in 2022. Since then, Nova Sky Stories has advanced both the technology and creative potential of drone entertainment, orchestrating increasingly intricate and powerful light shows. Notably, at the Burning Man festival, 1,000 drones formed a massive, morphing face that floated above the crowd—an early demonstration of what’s possible when technology and artistry converge.

The recent announcement that Jeffrey Katzenberg will serve as a strategic advisor and board member marks a transformative moment for Nova Sky Stories. Backed by a substantial $50 million funding round led in part by Katzenberg’s investment firm WndrCo, the partnership promises to elevate sky-based entertainment to unprecedented heights. The unique value of this collaboration lies in the synergy between Katzenberg’s deep storytelling expertise and Musk’s inventive approach to live, communal experiences.

Katzenberg envisions these shows as more than just fleeting displays of light—they are fully realized stories, with structured narratives featuring beginnings, middles, and ends. “Imagine original characters and stories shaped specifically for this medium, stories that can only be told in the sky and in three dimensions, with the potential for interactive audience engagement,” he emphasizes. Each show, typically spanning 70 to 80 minutes, utilizes thousands of drones that create vibrant, dynamic images accompanied by original music and immersive sound.

Kimbal Musk describes the shared moment under the stars as “magical,” emphasizing the unparalleled thrill of community gatherings to witness a story unfolding overhead. For Musk, Nova is about creating a sense of wonder and inspiring audiences to look up—literally and figuratively. The ambition is not just to entertain but to forge moments of collective awe and celebration, giving families and communities a novel reason to come together.

Looking ahead, Nova Sky Stories plans to launch its first co-developed ‘Sky Story’ with Katzenberg in 2026, promising a landmark public event with details to be announced later this year. This inaugural project aims to showcase what’s possible when cutting-edge drone technology meets world-class storytelling. Central to the company’s vision is the notion of unlocking richer, more immersive experiences with each technological advance, making each successive show more complex and engaging than the last.

What sets this venture apart from traditional forms of entertainment is the sheer scale and flexibility of the medium. With up to 10,000 synchronized drones able to form breathtaking visuals across city skylines or festival grounds, these performances are limited only by human imagination and the boundaries of the sky itself. The company’s ongoing investment in drone hardware and programming ensures that every new show can push the envelope further, with richer graphics, longer runtime, and increasingly interactive components that engage spectators in unprecedented ways.

For Katzenberg, this project is both a culmination and a new beginning: “I’ve spent my career telling stories across every medium imaginable, and now Nova gives us a chance to explore the oldest and largest screen of all—the sky.” His involvement brings not only creative gravitas but also a wealth of experience in building entertainment experiences beloved by millions.

In joining forces, Musk and Katzenberg are leveraging their unique strengths to build a new kind of family entertainment—one driven by innovation, artistry, and a shared desire to bring people together. With the inaugural Sky Story set for 2026, audiences around the world can soon expect to witness a spectacle that fuses technology and narrative in truly unimagined ways. The future of storytelling, it seems, just might be written among the stars.