Planning a trip to Los Angeles? If you’re a fan of both Hollywood flicks and cars, then a stop at the Petersen Automotive Museum must be on your itinerary.
“Hollywood Dream Machines: Vehicles of Science Fiction and Fantasy” recently opened, featuring over 40 Hollywood vehicles from cult classic films and video games. Opening in the Mullin Family Grand Salon, it is the largest museum exhibition of sci-fi vehicles in the world. The exhibit was produced in collaboration with Comic-Con Museum, with additional support provided by Audi, Microsoft and Classic Cars.com.
Along with iconic automobiles, the exhibit showcases a selection of concept artwork, props, and costumes to explore and analyze the ways in which the speculative fiction genre pushes the boundaries of human imagination. Series represented in the display span from the niches of speculative fiction with emphasis on dystopian future films such as “Back to the Future,” “Blade Runner,” “Ghost in the Shell,” “Transformers,” and “I, Robot.”
Key vehicles on display include the 2018 Lexus LS 500 F Sport from “Black Panther,” Warthog from “Halo,” the 2035 Audi RSQ from “I, Robot,” the time machine from “Back to the Future,” the Weyland Industries RT01 Group Transport from “Prometheus,” the 2008 Audi R8 from “Iron Man,” Bumblebee from the “Transformers” series, the GM Ultralight from “Demolition Man,” Batmobiles, and more.
“Being in the heart of the entertainment industry in Hollywood and Los Angeles, we’re thrilled to be able to display these cinematic icons,” said Petersen Automotive Museum executive director Terry Karges. “When you see these pieces of cinematic history in person, (they) truly offer a different perspective than seeing them on the big screen. It is truly like nothing else we have done here at the Petersen.”
The exhibit also features a Microsoft HoloLens experience called “Worlds Reimagined.” The mixed-reality experience provides guests with the opportunity to try the immersive technology, and see the Warthog from “Halo” and the “Back to the Future” time machine in a whole new way.
To help kick off the exhibit, the Petersen hosted a panel discussion featuring some of the most celebrated film producers, movie car designers and coordinators of the past 30-plus years including Bob Gale, Harald Belker, Josh Hancock, George Hull, Dennis McCarthy, and Michael Scheffe. The panel, which was moderated by film critic Scott Mantz, covered the backstory of some of film’s most iconic vehicles, discussed how Hollywood’s “cars of the future” are created and what they think is next. The Petersen also held an opening reception on the evening of May 4 with live entertainment, gourmet appetizers, and cocktails.
“Hollywood Dream Machines” will run through March 15, 2020.