Ronald Reagan hologram greets visitors at ex-president's library

Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan is making a comeback as a hologram at his official library in California.

The 3-D image of Reagan began welcoming visitors at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum on Thursday. Guests were able to watch three different scenes that use audio taken from real remarks made during his presidency, which lasted from 1981 to 1989.

One scene showed Reagan waving to crowds from a rail car he used in a 1984 campaign stop. The others depicted him inside the Oval Office and at his California ranch. Reagan died in 2004.

“If you’ve never been in a room with President Reagan, this will feel like you’re standing right there with him,” said John Heubusch, executive director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. “It’s just startling how realistic this is.”

The Reagan hologram was created with technology from Hologram USA, which also was behind the image of Tupac Shakur that performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2012 and one of Michael Jackson at the Billboard Awards in 2014.

Another company, BASE Hologram, announced on Thursday it will bring singer Amy Winehouse back to the stage as a hologram in a show expected to debut next year 

Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Krystian Orlinski; Editing by Alistair Bell