Simon Fuller’s XIX Entertainment Wants to Make First Digital Pop Star: Signs Landmark Deal with Digital Life Pioneer Pulse Evolution
http://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...er’s-XIX-Entertainment-Digital-Pop-Star
The man behind the ‘Idol’ franchise, the Spice Girls and other entertainment icons is poised to become largest shareholder of virtual entertainment technology company.
LONDON & LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Simon Fuller’s XIX Entertainment today announced the signing of a landmark partnership with Pulse Evolution Corporation in a deal that will allow the two companies to co-produce a series of entertainment properties and virtual reality experiences featuring Pulse’s market leading digital human, or Digital Life, technology. Fuller is joining the founders of Pulse Evolution, those responsible for the Tupac Shakur Hologram at Coachella and Virtual Michael Jackson at the Billboard Music Awards, in a transformative deal that will position Fuller to become the largest shareholder of Pulse. The new partners expect to introduce their all-new form of entertainment to global audiences in the next 18 months.
The partnership aims to combine the highest quality visual imagery, including hyper-realistic digital humans, with the most advanced and rapidly evolving display technologies, to create immersive content for stage, virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence. Fuller, noted by Billboard magazine as the most successful British music manager of all time, created the British TV hit Pop Idol, American Idol and the global Idol franchise, which has since garnered 6.5 billion viewers to become the world's most widely watched television franchise. He also manages, or has managed, such iconic acts as the Spice Girls, the late Amy Winehouse, Annie Lennox, Carrie Underwood, Steven Tyler, Kelly Clarkson, Lisa Marie Presley, Victoria Beckham and David Beckham.
Fuller now joins Pulse Evolution, a global leader in the creation of hyper-realistic digital humans, or Digital Life, to produce entertainment properties and content intended to address the exploding market of immersive entertainment, with their first project being the digital development of ELVIS PRESLEY in preparation for a live show experience to showcase the genius of this most iconic performer at his absolute prime.
“I am very excited by all the incredible opportunities virtual reality and immersive technology will provide,” said Fuller. “I am very focused on creating some extraordinary music-based properties that can enthrall and captivate audiences around the world. Entertainment will be at the forefront of showcasing this incredible new technology.”
“We are thrilled to have Simon and his team join us on this journey,” said Pulse Evolution executive chairman John Textor. “Today is a giant step for VR and AR enthusiasts as one of the world’s most accomplished producers, and his extended family of collaborating artists, begin to explore the medium of immersive entertainment. There are limitless possibilities for talent to engage their audiences in ways that we can now barely imagine.”
Earlier this year, Pulse Evolution received investments from China’s Original Force Computer Animation Co. Ltd and Shanghai U9 Game Co. Ltd., both of which are portfolio investments of Tencent Holding Limited, a $200 billion global conglomerate.