Elvis Presley fans who missed out on seeing their hero when he was alive will be able to catch a glimpse of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll perform later this year, thanks to virtual reality.
Elvis Evolution will feature a life-size digital Elvis performing on stage, using artificial intelligence (AI) and holographic projection, augmented reality and live theatre to recreate events in Presley’s life and music, said Layered Reality, the immersive entertainment company developing the show.
“It’s going to be a joyous celebration of Elvis’s life; the man, the music, and his cultural legacy,” Layered Reality founder and chief executive Andrew McGuinness told Reuters.
Visitors will be taken on a journey from Tupelo, Mississippi, where Presley was born in 1935, to Memphis, Tennessee, home of Graceland, and Las Vegas.
“The crescendo of the experience is an AI performance by Elvis,” he said.
Layered Reality struck a deal with Authentic Brands Group, owner of the Elvis Presley estate, to develop Elvis Evolution.
The British company was given access to thousands of the star’s personal photos and hours of home-videos to create the new performances using AI, McGuinness said.
Global interest in the singer, widely acclaimed as the best-selling solo music artist of all time with more than 500mn records sold, is undimmed 46 years after he died aged 42.
Baz Luhrmann’s biography Elvis, released in 2022, created a new generation of fans, while Sofia Coppola’s 2023 Priscilla explored his complex relationship with his wife.
McGuinness said that Elvis Evolution would appeal to both die-hard fans and those curious to discover more about the Can’t Help Falling in Love singer.
“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,” he added.
The show is scheduled to open in November.
After London, Elvis Evolution will travel to cities including Las Vegas, Tokyo and Berlin, he added.
Marc Rosen, head of entertainment at Authentic Brands Group, said it would give fans “a new, immersive way of experiencing Elvis Presley’s life and legacy”.
Presley (pictured) passed away aged 42 at his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee in 1977.
Elvis Evolution comes after the success of Swedish supergroup ABBA’s ABBA Voyage digital avatar show, which opened at a purpose-built venue in east London in May 2022.
Bloomberg reported in September last year that it has sold more than 1.5mn tickets, generating more than $150mn.
This handout image shows Elvis Presley performing in the 1970s.
