The estates of Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix may stage future holographic live performances, Billboard reports.
"We're trying to get to a point where 3-D characters will walk around," Jeff Jampol, who manages both artists' estates, told Billboard. "Hopefully, 'Jim Morrison' will be able to walk right up to you, look you in the eye, sing right at you and then turn around and walk away."
Jampol–who also handles the estates of Otis Redding, Janis Joplin, Peter Tosh and Rick James–suggested that a 3D hologram would only be part of this proposed new multimedia concert experience. The show could also include walls pixelated like giant TV screens, along with the use of lasers, lights, high-quality audio and synchronized sound vibrations.
Similarly, Janie Hendrix, the sister of the late guitar god and President/CEO of Experience Hendrix, revealed that she has been working for a year with the London-based Musion Systems to develop a virtual Jimi Hendrix. "For us, of course, it's about keeping Jimi authentically correct," she said. "There are no absolutes at this point."
Some rock holograms are already in motion. Last week, Core Media Group announced that they'd struck an exclusive deal with Digital Domain Media Group–the company that kickstarted everything with the Tupac hologram at this year's Coachella–to develop an Elvis hologram.
"This is not repurposing old footage that the world has already seen," Digital Domain chief creative officer Ed Ulbrich told Billboard of the King of Rock's hologram, which is in the early stages of development and expected to cost millions. "We're making totally original and exclusive performances so that fans can have new experiences."
Holograms are extending to silver screen icons, too. Plans are reportedly underway for a virtual Marilyn Monroe concert to celebrate the 50th anniversary of her death; however, the group responsible, Digicon Media, told the Hollywood Reporter that they are not working with the Monroe estate. As they explained, Digicon already owns certain copyrights to Monroe's image, including her computer-generated persona. The Monroe estate, as Billboard.biz points out, is threatening legal action.
