BMW Theatre Screen is a 31-inch Fire TV for the back seat of your car

Car manufacturers have always fantasised about your car being more than just a vehicle to get from A to B. Innumerate concepts have pushed the idea of your car having an interior like a lounge, and that you’ll use it for leisure, not just driving to work.

With the latest generation of electric cars, this lounge interior has got much closer, thanks to the design opportunities offered when you don’t have to incorporate all the mechanical elements of a combustion car into the interior.

The BMW Theatre Screen looks like many of the concepts we’ve seen before, but this one is a little more real. BMW tells us that “the presented features are very close to what we will launch in series production in the near future” – although there’s no confirmation of when, how much it will cost or what model(s) it will be available on.

The system will change the rear bench of your car into a movie theatre, with the 31-inch 32:9 display rotating down from the roof of the car, accompanied by a Hans Zimmer soundtrack.

At the same time the interior lighting will dim and the sun blinds will rise, to create the perfect environment for watching a movie.

It’s a super-wide display with an 8000 x 2000 pixel resolution, so it’s not exactly the same format of 8K you might have on the TV in your home – but it will allow playback in different aspects, as well as zooming.

Control will be via the panels in the doors of the car, while the content itself will be powered by Fire TV. That means you’ll be able to access a full range of content and we assume all the streaming services you’d normally get on Fire TV, so that includes the likes of Disney+ and Netflix.

(BMW details that the Chinese market will have a different streaming supplier.)

Of course you’ll need a solid connection to stream everything and the car’s integrated 5G antenna will handle that for you.

With the BMW iX recently launched as the company’s flagship electric model, it’s likely that this is where the Theatre Screen will make an appearance, alongside Bower & Wilkins excellent Diamond Surround Sound System that’s already an option for the car.

Having heard that sound system ourselves – this sounds like a great setup for those wanting to relax and watch movies in the back of their car.

That might be the preserve of the VVIP being driven, or it might just be a great way to catch up on The Wheel of Time while charging your car.