Lionsgate Rolls Out ‘Hologram-ish’ Movie Stars in 15 U.S. Theaters

November 11, 2025 by guest author, John Berkovich

No, it’s not a hologram but it sure looks like one. Lionsgate has unveiled interactive “hologram-ish,” as Sixteen:Nine founder Dave Haynes would say, pop-ups featuring the cast of Now You See Me: Now You Don’t in 15 theater lobbies across the United States.

The activation lets moviegoers pose for selfies with life-size digital versions of Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Justice Smith, and Ariana Greenblatt. In a playful twist, the on-screen characters appear to take the selfie themselves before handing off the shot via QR code. Lionsgate calls it a “first-to-market” experience, timed to coincide with the film’s release on November 14. 

Check out the video below:

Most Proto installations to date have been one-off spectacles for red carpets, corporate events, or pilot projects in health care. This campaign marks a rare networked rollout, with identical units appearing simultaneously from Los Angeles’ AMC Grove 14 to New York’s AMC Empire 25.

“This amazing technology borders on magic, so there’s no better way to anticipate the release of Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” said Kevin Grayson, president of worldwide distribution at Lionsgate. Proto founder and chairman David Nussbaum added that the promotion represents “the largest theatrical activation Proto has ever delivered.”

The Proto boxes use a transparent LCD panel and carefully tuned lighting behind the screen to create the illusion of depth – convincing enough to make people stop, stare, and snap a picture.

For Proto, the Now You See Me rollout could be the next step beyond one-time spectacles into repeatable, venue-ready deployments.