Laurel and Hardy, Batman and Paddington to be honoured with Leicester Square statues

Bronze statues depicting famous moments and characters in cinema from the last century will be placed in Leicester Square in a celebration of London's film history.

Laurel and Hardy, Mary Poppins and Mr Bean will be among the eight figures represented in the "statue trail", which will open next month.

Leicester Square was first home to a cinema in 1930, with the first premiere taking place there in 1937.

Since then, the square has cemented its place in British cinema history and it regularly plays host to some of the most high-profile events in the UK's film calendar.

Also represented in the square will be Looney Tunes' Bugs Bunny, Wonder Woman, Batman and Paddington.

A statue of Gene Kelly recreating the memorable Singin' In The Rain dance sequence by hanging from a lamppost will also be on show. Concept art shows a statue of Batman stood watching over the square from the roof of the Odeon Luxe.

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Each of the statues will be interacting with the square in some way – with designers also planning to make use of walls, benches and flowerbeds.

Iconic comedy duo Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy will be shown teetering on the edge of a rooftop in a recreation of a scene from the 1929 film Liberty.

Several of the statues in the display, which will be free to view, are going to be illuminated at night and it will also be accompanied by videos and music.

The project, titled Scenes in the Square, is being delivered by the Heart of London Business Alliance, Westminster City Council and film studios.

Mark Williams, Head of Consumer Marketing at Heart of London Business Alliance, says, “Film is an incredibly universal art form and Leicester Square has been its London home for many years. With statues depicting films through the years, from the 1920s to 2020, we hope ‘Scenes in the Square’ will delight movie lovers across every generation and we look forward to welcoming visitors to explore this wonderful trail.”

Mark adds, “Following its launch early next year and a six month pilot period, we hope to welcome further characters to the square for years to come, so watch this space for your favourite movies, television or theatre scenes to come to life in the heart of London.”

The statues will be unveiled on February 27.