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The Swedish entertainment firm that helped bring ABBA Voyage to life is reportedly in talks to revive Elvis Presley in hologram form for live shows.
The Financial Times reports that Pophouse Entertainment, whose co-founder is ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, has engaged in discussions with Sony Music, which owns the rights to Presley’s work, and investment company Authentic Brands Group, owner of the singer’s image and likeness.
Ulvaeus teased the potential agreement at a conference in Germany earlier this month, saying: “I would like to see the young Elvis come alive again.”
Pophouse, Sony and ABG declined to comment on the report, which claims the talks have focused on a commercial partnership rather than a sale of the music rights or IP, as opposed to the recent deal that saw Kiss sells the rights to their name, music, image and likeness to Pophouse. The firm has confirmed plans for a Kiss avatar show in 2027, along with a biopic and themed experience.
Presley, who died in 1977 aged 42, was introduced to a new generation in 2022 via the smash-hit big screen biopic Elvis, directed by Baz Luhrmann.
A separate production, Elvis Evolution, is due to launch in London this November
A separate production, Elvis Evolution – a collaboration between Elvis Presley Enterprises, Authentic Brands Group and immersive specialist Layered Reality (LR) – is due to launch in London this November, with further stops planned in Las Vegas, Berlin and Tokyo.
The virtual concert will feature “a life sized digital Elvis” who will “share his most iconic songs and moves for the very first time on a UK stage”, made possible thanks to LR’s “unique blend of technology, augmented reality, theatre, projection and multi-sensory effects”.
A previous show, Elvis In Concert: Live On Screen, toured UK arenas in 2016. The concert experience, which was promoted by Kennedy Street and AAA in conjunction with Elvis’ estate, featured archive performance footage of Presley on video screens, accompanied live on stage by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The production returned to The O2 in London last year.
ABBA Voyage, which blends the virtual and physical worlds, has sold more than two million tickets since launching at the demountable 3,000-cap ‘ABBA Arena’ in 2022. Producer Svana Gisla gave an insight into the show during Touring Entertainment Live (TEL) at this year’s ILMC.
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Elvis Presley is to be brought back to life in hologram form for a new major live production.
A collaboration between Elvis Presley Enterprises, Authentic Brands Group and immersive specialist Layered Reality (LR), Elvis Evolution will launch in central London in November 2024, with further stops planned in Las Vegas, Berlin and Tokyo.
The virtual concert will feature “a life sized digital Elvis” who will “share his most iconic songs and moves for the very first time on a UK stage”, made possible thanks to LR’s “unique blend of technology, augmented reality, theatre, projection and multi-sensory effects”.
“The crescendo of the experience is an AI performance by Elvis,” Layered Reality CEO Andrew McGuinness tells Reuters.
The UK-based company has also worked on presentations such as Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience and The Gunpowder Plot.
“Elvis Evolution is a next-generation tribute to the musical legend that is Elvis Presley,” adds McGuinness. “Elvis maintains superstar status globally and people around the world no longer want to sit there and passively receive entertainment – they want to be a part of it.
“It’ll be a memory-making experience that will be a bucket-list item for Elvis fans and admirers around the world”
“It’ll be a memory-making experience that will be a bucket-list item for Elvis fans and admirers around the world; people can step into the world of Elvis, walk in his shoes and celebrate his extraordinary musical legacy.”
Presley, who died in 1977 aged 42, was introduced to a new generation in 2022 via the smash-hit big screen biopic Elvis, directed by Baz Luhrmann.
Kilimanjaro Live is currently promoting the Direct from Graceland: Elvis retrospective exhibition, which opened at Arches London Bridge in October 2023 and boasts “the most significant collection of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll to ever leave Memphis”, including more than 400 artefacts owned by Presley.
A previous show, Elvis In Concert: Live On Screen, toured UK arenas in 2016. The concert experience, which was promoted by Kennedy Street and AAA in conjunction with Elvis’ estate, featured archive performance footage of Presley on video screens, accompanied live on stage by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The production returned to The O2 in London last year.
Elvis Evolution follows in the footsteps of the ABBA Voyage virtual concert residency, which has created a new model for legendary artists since debuting to widespread acclaim in 2022. US rock legends Kiss have also stated their intention to continue as a virtual band from 2027 following their recent retirement from touring.
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Dubai’s Al Habtoor Theatre is to host a bi-weekly series of hologram concerts of legendary artists accompanied by a live band.
The Dubai Hologram Universe has been launched at the 1,288 capacity venue by hologram production agency New Dimension Productions (NDP) in collaboration with Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment.
The National reports the series will present artists such as Frank Sinatra, as well as the likes of Umm Kulthum and Warda Al Jazairia, in hologram format.
“We are delighted to partner with NDP in launching such an innovative initiative as the Dubai Hologram Universe that will turn the spotlight on legendary music icons through hologram technology,” says Ahmed Alkhaja, chief executive of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment.
“The Dubai Hologram Universe marks the first step to achieving our long-term strategy to position Dubai as the capital of hologram entertainment”
NDP was founded in Amman, Jordan, in 2010, before relocating to the United Arab Emirates.
“The Dubai Hologram Universe marks the first step to achieving our long-term strategy to position Dubai as the capital of hologram entertainment,” says Hasan M Hina, founder and executive producer and director of New Dimension Productions.
The first show, starring the late Egyptian crooner Abdel Halim Hafez, who died in 1977, took place during last month’s Dubai Shopping Festival.
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