The controversial Dio hologram has been retired, according to Ronnie James Dio's wife and longtime manager Wendy Dio. Wendy stated in an interview with Kazagastão that the hologram was simply too expensive and way too much to travel with. The hologram will be replaced with a film version of Dio that will "perform" alongside a live band. So we're not exactly done with the hologram, so much as we are done with this specific version.
"[The hologram] was well received sometimes, sometimes not; it all depends on the people. The problem with the hologram, and it's great — and I won't say never again — but it costs so much money, you can only go into certain venues because of the height of it and the size of it. It's too expensive to travel, so therefore we couldn't come to Brazil, couldn't come to South America, couldn't go to Japan, couldn't go to Europe with it. So it limits you so much.
"So we are going out next year in March — the Dio band will go out again — but this time I found an ISO film, a 17-camera shoot, there's an ISO one of Ronnie only. So we took that, and we're making this with special effects. So it won't be a hologram — it'll be a film of Ronnie himself with the Dio live band and special effects. So we're working on that. And that we can take anywhere. So we're hoping to come to Brazil next year."
