There’s obviously money in this (despite all the criticism denouncing the idea), because the company continues to add to its growing list of deceased celebrities who are "revived" for performances as holograms.
A month after it was announced that Whitney Houston, Billie Holiday, Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly, Bing Crosby, and others will be "reborn" as holograms, the company behind the push (Hologram USA) has revealed that comedians Redd Foxx and Andy Kaufman will also be "recreated" for 21st Century audiences as holograms, and will begin performing again via live shows, in a nationwide tour set for 2016.
"Who knew that the persistent rumors that Andy Kaufman would return from death would come true?" said Hologram USA CEO Alki David. "We have the opportunity to resurrect him and present his genius with the same vitality and joy that his first audiences experienced 40 years ago. As for our other debut comedy hologram legend: Redd Foxx is a hero who helped change the game not just in comedy but in how Americans talk about race and sex."
Samantha Chang, Director of Licensing of CMG said: "We’re delighted to work with Hologram USA to celebrate Andy Kaufman and Redd Foxx, two comedians who changed the genre forever. As with all our work with legendary artists, we insure that every project is authentic and created with the utmost respect for the person’s life and work."
"I grew up listening to Redd Foxx records and watching Andy Kaufman standup," said SVP of Hologram USA Sales David Nussbaum, a comedy veteran in his own right. "So bringing them back to entertain future generations is a tremendous honor. Acts like Kaufman and Foxx will help drive awareness to the futuristic qualities Hologram USA brings to live entertainment."
FilmOn Studios will work with each comedian’s estate to create the shows which will include some of the stars’ famous characters and catch phrases, such as Kaufman’s Mighty Mouse routine, to Foxx’s famous fake heart attack line, "It’s the big one! I’m comin’ to join you Elizabeth!"
The Andy Kaufman and Redd Foxx hologram performances will also be excerpted and presented at the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY at the world’s first Hologram Comedy Club, powered by HUSA. The NCC broke ground in August.
Hologram USA owns the exclusive North American patent to the technology that creates the only life-like HD holograms. The company is part of Alki David’s Anakando Media Group of companies which is also home to the streaming TV platform FilmOn.com, pay-per-view site ETV.com, and digital distribution site MondoTunes. The company is the only licensed producer in North America of the patented technology that creates the HD quality holograms that are creating what The Hollywood Reporter has called a billion dollar industry in the making. Select Hologram USA productions will stream live on FilmOn.com, on television. It is the same technology that created the famous Tupac Shakur hologram at Coachella in 2012. For more information please visit HologramUSA.com.
