Broadway Producer wins lawsuit regarding Elvis Hologram

Darren Bagert

Pulse Evolution, the digital production firm was found guilty of breach of contract on October 12, and was reportedly ordered to pay $524,196 to Tony-winning Dear Evan Hansen producer Darren Bagert.

The 90-minute musical was to be centered on a lifelike hologram of Presley, which Pulse was to create. Bagert had been brought on to manage the project, which was budgeted between $15 to $25 million. He worked to build out the production's financials, hand-pick the creative team and seek investors. In exchange, Pulse was to provide Bagert "advances against a production fee tied to the budget of the show, a slice of the net profits, and 200,000 shares of its common stock."

After Bagert completed his pre-production efforts, Pulse made a new partnership with American Idol creator Simon Fuller, who became Pulse's biggest shareholder and was made responsible for shepherding the Presley musical.

Bagert worked on the show further on his own, but he eventually brought Pulse to court, claiming that the firm had only provided him with restricted stock and had not paid him some advances on the project.

Pulse Evolution specializes in making lifelike holograms for concerts and films. It previously resurrected rapper Tupac Shakur at the Coachella Music Festival in 2012, and breathed new life into singer Michael Jackson at the Billboard Music Awards in 2014.
Reaching for other stars, Pulse Evolution next acquired the rights to create a virtual version of Presley from the owners of his estate.

Pulse founder John Textor said the firm "chose not to defend the matter in arbitration," and no one from the company showed up in court. Bagert was awarded $500,000 for the breached contract, later suing in federal court to enforce the arbitration award. Pulse, again, didn't show up, and Bagert's award increased.

Broadway

BIM: The fate of the Elvis Hologram production is unknown as of now.  It's been a PR nightmare for the new hotel, robberies, illness and even death. The Elvis biopic cancelled. Now this. What is going wrong in the business world of all things Elvis?  Too many hands in the pot? Carelessness? Mismanagement?