Elvis Presley, who would have turned 90 next year, is getting the hologram treatment. Elvis Evolution will use AI and holographic projections of the Heartbreak Hotel singer to make him come to “life” on stage, starting with London, in November. The show will travel to other cities, like Las Vegas, Berlin and Tokyo.
AI-driven holograms are not new in the world of music. It is already generating a lot of money for Abba. Helping project Elvis on stage is Layered Reality, a British company, which has previously produced immersive experiences, including The Gunpowder Plot and Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds.
The technology involves bringing together thousands of Elvis’s personal photos and home-video footage and the hologram’s mission is to celebrate the star’s life and musical legacy after a deal between Authentic Brands Group, the owners of the Elvis Presley estate, and Layered Reality. Andrew McGuinness, chief executive of Layered Reality, said it will be a “memory-making” experience. The show will also have an after-party Elvis-themed bar and restaurant on-site at the central London location.
Virtual concerts have been bringing in money for several celebrity estates. For example, the Abba experience was created by 1,000 visual effects artists and took one billion computing hours to animate the avatars. It makes an estimated £2m per week and, since 2022, has contributed £322.6m in turnover to the London economy, reports the BBC.
A few weeks ago, rock band Kiss ended their farewell concert in New York with flying avatars who launched into the hit song God Gave Rock ’n’ Roll to You. The band will now be seen through avatars.
Presley, who was born on January 8, 1935, died at his iconic house, Graceland, on August 16, 1977 but his estate continues to earn plenty of money through tours and record sales.