Burbank’s newest resident, a seven-and-a-half foot, 600 lb, bronze statue of DC’s iconic superhero, Wonder Woman, was unveiled Wednesday, March 15th, in front of the Warner Brothers Studio Tour Hollywood entrance. DC, Visit Burbank, and Warner Bros. Discovery worked together to bring Wonder Woman to the media capital of the world.
The bronze Wonder Woman statue, which is based on the original drawing by comic book artist, Jenny Frison, stands at the entrance to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour building and is accessible to the public for photo ops. “You’ll notice that our elected body is now a majority of women, a first in the city of Burbank and its history. It’s very fitting of what we’re celebrating here today and shows that this representation has made its way to the top ranks here in the city,” said Mayor Konstantine Anthony, who spoke at the unveiling event.
This year Warner Bros. celebrates its 100th anniversary, and Mayor Anthony shared that the company has been an amazing partner to Burbank this past century. “I tell people all the time. Don’t go to Hollywood for movies, come to Burbank. This is where they actually make them,” he added.
The giant bronze hero standing tall and proud was sculpted by Jack Gabriel Matthews of American Fine Arts-A Better Foundry, which is located in Burbank. The fabrication company also sculpted the Batman statue that stands in front of the AMC 16 theatre in Downtown Burbank and the police officer and firefighter sculpture in front of the headquarters building on N Third St.
“We are happy that Visit Burbank supports the arts, the spirit of travel, and the proliferation of selfies by spearheading the partnerships with DC and Warner Brothers,” said Mayor Anthony about the destination marketing organization that fully funded the statue. “Visit Burbank is really good about making these photo opportunities and creating things for visitors and outsiders to come into Burbank and really appreciate the iconic role that Burbank has had on media in the film and television industry.”
Pam Lifford, the President of Global Brands, Franchises, and Experiences at Warner Brothers took to the podium to share why Wonder Woman was the perfect candidate for the statue installation. “Wonder Woman is one of the world’s most iconic DC superheroes. A champion of true justice and a warrior,” said Lifford. “I believe that she is even more relevant today than she has been, and she brings strength and an enormous compassion each and every day.”
DC Chief Creative Officer and Publisher Jim Lee, was there to help with the unveiling, as well as Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman 1984 Director Patty Jenkins, and comic book writer, Amanda Deibert. Deibert’s latest comic book Wonder Woman Agent of Peace, was launched at the event and given to attendees. The special edition cover reads “Burbank Celebrates Wonder Woman,” and a Visit Burbank guide takes up the last few pages of the comic to welcome people to the area.
The entire council was there in attendance at the unveiling event, including Mayor Konstantine Anthony, Vice Mayor Nick Schultz, and Council Members Zizette Mullins, Tamala Takahashi, and Nikki Perez. City officials from multiple departments came out for the unveiling, including City Manager Justin Hess. Representatives from the offices of Senator Anthony Portantino, Supervisor Kathryn Barger, and Assemblymember Laura Friedman were there to present certificates commemorating the statue.
In honor of Wonder Woman, the Warner Brothers Studio Tour building celebrated by displaying original art of the superhero along with merchandise in the center of the lobby. The Starbucks inside the building also celebrated with a limited edition “Tea of Themyscira” that was only available that day and consisted of a Mango Dragon Fruit Refresher with raspberry syrup, shaken and topped with Passion iced tea.
The statue is located at 3400 Warner Blvd and is open to anyone to come and take pictures with. You don’t need to book a studio tour to access it. When posting photos, make sure to tag #BurbankWonderWoman.
