Long live the King!
The Elvis Presley revival that began with Austin Butler’s Oscar-nominated turn in 2022’s “Elvis” and then continued with Jacob Elordi’s portrayal of the late rock legend in Sofia Coppola’s recent “Priscilla” drama is showing no signs of dying down with a new immersive show that will bring him back to life in an AI hologram.
Forty-seven years after Presley’s 1977 death, “Elvis Evolution” will open in London in November 2024 at a theater yet to be announced.
And Layered Reality — the UK company producing the event — promises a “jaw-dropping” experience.
“The show peaks with a concert experience that will recreate the seismic impact of seeing Elvis live for a whole new generation of fans, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy,” a statement announcing the show explains. “A life-sized digital Elvis will share his most iconic songs and moves for the very first time on a UK stage.”
“Elvis Evolution” — which follows Presley recently hitting the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time since 1977 with “Blue Christmas” — comes on the heels of the hit London show “ABBA Voyage,” which employs digital avatars of the “Dancing Queen” band.
“Elvis fans can look forward to a memory-making experience like no other,” the show’s website explains. “Through AI and groundbreaking tech, you’ll be able to witness iconic Elvis performances as if you were really there, and celebrate defining moments in Elvis Presley’s extraordinary life and career.”
And this AI show is going on the road.
In a video announcement, Layered Reality founder and CEO Andrew McGuinness said that the “Elvis Evolution” will go on a global tour after its London debut, including stops in Las Vegas, Berlin and Tokyo.
“You’re going to go on a journey and really understand what Elvis went through during his life,” McGuinness said of the experience, which includes thousands of Presley’s personal photos and home videos.
“The end of this experience is a real crescendo, where you’ll see a life-sized Elvis in AI perform some of his biggest hits,” he added.
The announcement comes just as Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” arrived on Netflix this week.
Cailee Spaeny is up for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday for her performance as Priscilla Presley in “Priscilla.”
Of course, last year’s Golden Globes proved to be the final public appearance by Elvis’ daughter Lisa Marie Presley, who died at 54 just two days after the awards ceremony.