51°30′37″N0°07′48″W / 51.5104°N 0.1301°W /51.5104; -0.1301
Scenes in the Square is a film-themed sculpture trail inLeicester Square, London. Eight sculptures were installed in February 2020. These sculptures depict characters from the last 100 years of cinema, includingLaurel and Hardy,Mary Poppins,Batman,Bugs Bunny,Don Lockwood portrayed byGene Kelly,Paddington Bear,Mr. Bean, andWonder Woman. A sculpture ofHarry Potter was installed later on in 2020 and then in 2021, a sculpture of theIron Throne fromGame of Thrones was added.
The first eight statues were installed in February 2020 and emphasise Leicester Square's long association with cinema. The site has been home to cinemas since 1930 and hosted its first film premiere in 1937. The original statues installed were those ofLaurel and Hardy,Mary Poppins,Batman,Bugs Bunny,Don Lockwood portrayed byGene Kelly,Paddington Bear,Mr. Bean andWonder Woman representing the past 100 years of film. The exhibition is organised by the Heart of London Business Alliance in partnership withWestminster City Council and is supported by major movie studios.[1]
Laurel and Hardy are perched on top of a ticket booth in the square, representing a famous scene from the 1929 filmLiberty in which the pair balanced on a ledge on a skyscraper.[2] Mary Poppins is depicted landing from flight with her umbrella raised, as featured in the 1964 filmMary Poppins.[3] Batman stands 25 metres (82 ft) above the square, on the roof of theOdeon Leicester Square cinema.[4] Bugs Bunny is depicted popping up out of a hole in a flower bed, in front of his mailbox, while eating a carrot.[5] Gene Kelly is depicted in his role as Don Lockwood in the 1952 filmSingin' in the Rain, swinging around a lamppost, in an iconic scene where the character sings the title song in the film. Permission to make the statue was granted by Kelly's wife, Patricia Ward Kelly.[6] Paddington Bear is seated on a bench in the square, eating one of his favourite marmalade sandwiches.[7] Mr. Bean, who was portrayed byRowan Atkinson on television and in film, is also depicted sitting on a bench in the square. The erection of the statue also marked 30 years since the character's first appearance.[8] The statue of Wonder Woman is above street level, depicted breaking through the wall of theVue West End cinema, wielding her Lasso of Truth. The statue is inspired by a scene from the 2017 filmWonder Woman, in which the title character was played byGal Gadot.[9]
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On 30 September 2020, a statue ofHarry Potter riding aNimbus 2000 broomstick was installed, becoming the ninth statue in the display. The scene was taken fromHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which had its world premiere in Leicester Square in 2001. Around the same time Westminster council extended permission for the statues to remain in the square until at least July 2023.[10] In June 2021, a statue of theIron Throne from the HBO TV seriesGame of Thrones was unveiled to mark 10 years since the release of the first episode.[11]
In July 2021, the statue of Bugs Bunny was modified with a basketball and backboard. The purpose of this was to mark the 16 July release ofSpace Jam: A New Legacy, in which the character is part of a basketball team. The backboard features a QR code to unlock online content on social media.[12]
In December 2021 a statue ofClifford the Big Red Dog was installed ahead of the release ofthe film of the same name. The statue featured links to pages where visitors can donate toBattersea Dogs & Cats Home. It took a team of 15 people three months to create the sculpture in bronze. It is the largest sculpture in the series, measuring 3 metres (9.8 ft) long and 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) high and weighing 600 kilograms (1,300 lb).[13]
A statue of Harrison Ford's characterIndiana Jones in a pose fromRaiders of the Lost Ark (1981) was unveiled on the north terrace of the square in June 2023.[14][15]
A statue ofDaniel Kaluuya was unveiled in October 2024, in a pose taken from the filmGet Out.[16][17]
A statue ofBridget Jones was unveiled in November 2025.[18]
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