Port St Lucie, FL, USA (June 6, 2012) /BUSINESS WIRE/ — Digital production company Digital Domain Media Group (NYSE: DDMG) announced today that it has signed an exclusive agreement with CORE Media Group (formerly CKx) to jointly develop, produce and own a series of “virtual” Elvis Presley likenesses for a range of entertainment projects – from shows and appearances to film, TV and multi-platform productions throughout the world.
Digital Domain Media Group, the only company whose employees have received an Academy Award® for creating a completely believable computer-generated (CG) human, created the CG likeness of Tupac Shakur for Dr. Dre’s recent show at the Coachella Valley Music Festival. CORE Media Group, a portfolio company of Apollo Global Management LLC, is the driving force behind such iconic brands as Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali, “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance.”
“This is a new and exciting way to bring the magic and music of Elvis Presley to life. His lifelong fans will be thrilled all over again and new audiences will discover the electric experience of Elvis the performer,” said Elvis Presley Enterprises President and CEO, Jack Soden. “The high level of quality entertainment that both CORE Media Group and Digital Domain deliver gives us great confidence that these projects will help continue the growth of Elvis’ rich legacy all over the world.” Elvis Presley Enterprises is a division of CORE Media Group.
The companies have already begun work on the virtual Elvis Presley likenesses and will announce when and where audiences can expect to see the first virtual Elvis performances.
“Elvis is the most iconic, most recognized performer on the planet, and we are thrilled to have been chosen to bring new performances and original shows where fans can have their own, new experiences of Elvis,” said Digital Domain Media Group Chairman and CEO John Textor. “In addition to being a dream project on the creative side, this agreement enables us to participate in the success of any number of potential virtual Elvis appearances.”
“As we look for new ways to offer audiences our intellectual property across multiple platforms, this partnership is the perfect fit for CORE Media, and exactly the type of announcement you can expect to see more of from us,” said CORE Media Group President Marc Graboff. “Clearly the team at Digital Domain is at the leading edge of the virtual experience arena, and we are anxious to get working on this exciting project.”
With more than 150 albums and singles certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum, Elvis Presley continues to show the world why he’s the King. From Broadway plays and live entertainment to books, movies, television, music, and concerts, Elvis sightings occur every day, all over the world. With more than six million fans on Facebook, over 70,000 official app downloads and more than five million unique visitors annually to Elvis.com, he is also now the King of Digital.
From Digital Domain’s work on “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” to “TRON: Legacy,” “X-Men: First Class” to Tupac Shakur, the company has spent a decade and tens of millions of dollars in perpetual development perfecting its technology, tools, and techniques to create realistic computer generated humans.
About Digital Domain Media Group
Digital Domain Media Group (DDMG: NYSE) leverages its expertise in digital visual effects (VFX) and computer-generated (CG) animation across a group of interrelated businesses. At its foundation is Digital Domain Productions (DDPI), an award-winning digital production company founded in 1993. This leading provider of visuals has contributed to more than 90 major motion pictures, including Titanic, the Transformers series, Real Steel and TRON: Legacy, as well hundreds of commercials. DDPI also converts two-dimensional (2D) imagery to three-dimensional (3D) imagery and holds key patents in this area. Mothership, a DDPI subsidiary, focuses on creating advertising, entertainment and branded content from concept to completion, across multiple media platforms. DDMG, its work and its employees have been recognized with numerous awards, including seven from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The company is building on its success in VFX to participate as a co-producer in major studio productions and is currently in production on the upcoming live-action sci-fi feature film Ender’s Game. DDMG is also applying its CG expertise to produce original, family-friendly animated feature films at its subsidiary Tradition Studios. The first movie, The Legend of Tembo, is in pre-production and two more features are in development. The company’s education subsidiary, the Digital Domain Institute, sets a new standard in digital media education through a pioneering public-private partnership with The Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts. DDMG is expanding its worldwide footprint of the highest quality visual effects and animation at the lowest possible cost through global partnerships in India and China. The company has studios in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Florida, Vancouver, Mumbai and London, and is currently establishing a studio in Beijing. http://www.ddmg.co
About CORE Media Group
Home to legendary icons like Elvis Presley and Muhammad Ali to enduring properties of the future like American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, CORE Media Group, Inc. was launched in May, 2012, as a newly-branded version of the company formerly known as CKx. CORE Media Group’s portfolio of world-class brands and properties reaches across virtually every aspect of the entertainment industry. The company boasts an extraordinary base of existing assets and an infrastructure that makes it uniquely suited to exploit its intellectual property across all revenue streams, including licensing, merchandising and integrated marketing. CORE Media Group is ideally situated to grow the assets it has, and cultivate new ones, as a platform agnostic producer and owner of content. The company was acquired by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, LLC, in 2011, and is located in New York City, with additional offices in Los Angeles and Memphis, Tenn. For more information about CORE Media Group, Inc., visit www.coremediagroup.com.
About Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.
Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE), a division of CORE Media Group, Inc., is based in Memphis, with additional offices in Los Angeles. In addition to Graceland and its related attractions in Memphis, including the Heartbreak Hotel, EPE is aggressively involved in a worldwide licensing program, merchandising, music publishing, and television, film, video and Internet projects. For more information on EPE and Graceland, visit www.elvis.com.
