Elvis Presley, one of the most significant figures in 20th-century popular culture, is set to return to the stage… But this time, as a hologram! Titled Elvis Evolution, the show will premiere in London this November, and will be followed by shows in Las Vegas, Tokyo, and Berlin.
The life-size hologram of Elvis, which will be enchanting audiences with his croons and dangerous moves, has been created by using artificial intelligence (AI) to scan thousands of Elvis’s personal photos and hundreds of hours of home footage. The result, according to Layered Reality, the immersive entertainment company responsible for bringing the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll back to life, will result in the ‘next-generation tribute to the musical legend.”
Of course, this is not the first time a yesteryears’ legend has been brought to life using AI and holographic technology. Over this past decade, we have seen holograms of Whitney Houston, Roy Orbison, Tupac Shakur, and ABBA take to the stage. The latter is currently making around £1.6 million (€1.86 million) per week, confirming audiences’ desire to see such stars. In fact, the success of such shows has got bands like the Rolling Stones planning post-humous, AI-generated holographic tours.
The question remains, however, do such tours give audiences a real taste of the musical legends’ stage presence or are they merely money-making endeavours? We’d love to know your thoughts.
