When I strolled into work this morning, little did I know it was going to change my life. What I thought was going to be a normal day reporting the hard-hitting entertainment news my loyal fans have come to expect went topsy-turvy the moment actor Jon Hamm's hologram walked into the building. It was all thanks to the app Holo, which allows you to play with all manner of holographic images. In honor of the August 18 release of Marjorie Prime, however, they debuted a special Jon Hamm option, and it has distracted me for maybe a good two hours.
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Jon Hamm plays Walter Prime in the virtual reality-themed film that tells the story of a grieving widow (Lois Smith) who recreates her dead husband (Hamm) using a hologram. Besides the flashbacks, Hamm plays a holographic version of his character for most the film, which is being described as the next Her when it comes to Hollywood's portrayal of technology and relationships.
Admitted, the Jon Hamm hologram I spent time with today was a little different. I couldn't actually see the actor, and I could only choose from a select few motions for him to do. That being said, we did (kind of) play ping-pong.
The app also lets you choose between taking photos or videos, and Jon Hamm even speaks to you — albeit, just a few pre-programed phrases.
It's safe to say that IRL, holograms haven't quite caught up to the version we see in the movie, however holographic Jon Hamm did attend the 2017 Sundance International Film Festival courtesy of his creators 8i, a volumetric capture startup.
As for holographic Jon and me? I think we just want different things in life.
Watch the Marjorie Prime trailer below!