VIDEO: Circus takes cruelty-free approach, uses stunning holograms instead of live animals

An extraordinary creation could be the new "Greatest Show on Earth."

Circus Roncalli in Germany has become the first to use holograms instead of real animals in its acts.

It features 11 projectors to create the 3D holograms and other projections. The amazing result are hologram horses that appear out of thin air, stampeding around the circus ring, along with elephants and even fish.

The circus' founder says he came up with the idea after watching the Super Bowl halftime show where Justin Timberlake performed alongside a hologram version of the late music legend Prince.

The Smithsonian reports the circus, which was founded in 1976, began phasing out animal performances in the 1990s. Since last year, the show has not featured live animals, shifting gears to holographic projections with 360-degree visibility for spectators seated around the ring.