Uncork'd Entertainment has released the official trailer for Arcade Dreams, a documentary about the long history of the arcade. It arrives on digital and on demand on November 27, 2026.
The story
Arcade Dreams traces how arcades grew and changed over roughly a century. It starts with the penny arcades of the early 1900s, moves through the golden age of pinball and the explosion of video games in the 1970s and 1980s, and ends with today's arcade renaissance. Earlier descriptions of the project promised the full story told through archival footage, animation and reenactments, from coin-op curiosities to modern virtual reality rooms.
Who's in it
This is a documentary, so there's no cast in the usual sense. The filmmakers describe it as told by historians, collectors, restoration experts, game developers, industry veterans and arcade fanatics. The published materials don't single out individual interviewees, so it's best to let the film introduce them.
Behind the camera
Zach Weddington directs. He previously made Viva Amiga, a documentary about the Commodore Amiga computer, and founded the production house Rock Steady Media, which made this film. TMDB credits John Fahy and Jeremy Reimer as writers. The project began years ago as a crowdfunded documentary series, and JoBlo Movie Productions later partnered with Rock Steady to help finish it, with Emmy-winning cinematographer Bill Winters attached to shoot. For anyone who grew up feeding quarters into cabinets, it's arriving just in time for the Thanksgiving weekend.
A Rock Steady Media production, released by Uncork'd Entertainment.