Daniel Kaluuya to be honoured with statue in Leicester Square - but fans are torn
Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya is set to be immortalised with a statue in London's iconic Leicester Square, honouring his role in psychological thriller Get Out.
Selected by public demand, Kaluuya clinched one-fifth of votes from 5,000 film buffs eager to see his contribution to cinema recognised on the Scenes in the Square trail in Leicester Square.
The trail, which features larger-than-life figures like Batman, Paddington, and Wonder Woman, will soon include a tribute to Kaluuya as the latest cinematic icon. The London-born actor has been lauded for his portrayal in Jordan Peele's Get Out, earning him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in 2018.
The film follows protagonist Chris as he uncovers disturbing secrets while visiting his girlfriend's family, cleverly tackling the issue of race in America along the way.
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Kaluuya's statue, scheduled for unveiling this October, will capture the memorable 'sunken place' sequence from Get Out, where his character is mesmerised into a paralysed state. With the news spreading across social media, public opinion appears divided, reports the Daily Star.
A sceptic on X, formerly Twitter, commented: "Really? If they're handing them out, could I also get a statue?". Meanwhile, another user questioned the move. "Creating a statue for Daniel Kaluuya's role in one film seems excessive, especially when other actors have made more significant contributions to the industry," they said.
A third user expressed doubt: "I mean this movie was good and all but a statue next to Batman for the movie idk about that." While another scoffed, "He's not even close to the other characters and icons listed. Good lord, this has to be a joke."
Yet some enthusiasts rushed to the statue's defence, with one stating: "Get Out is literally one of the best movies of all time and Daniel Kaluuya was phenomenal in it, but of course, people in the comments are trying to convince us he doesn't deserve the statue, but Paddington does."
Supporters celebrated the decision: "Love it! Daniel's talent deserves this!" with another supporter commenting: "This is so well deserved. Jordan Peele's Get Out was a cultural reset for horror." A third supporter exclaimed: "Suddenly I want to travel to London."
Mark Williams, deputy chief executive for Heart of London Business Alliance, which runs Scenes in the Square told Variety: "We are excited to welcome Daniel Kaluuya and Jordan Peele’s Get Out to our Scenes in the Square line-up as a celebration of a modern cinematic success and homegrown British talent.
“It points to a bright future for our trail, with Kaluuya as a chosen symbol of the future of entertainment, and it is a pleasure to be able to spotlight such a pioneering film.”
Kaluuya is widely known as an original cast member in the E4 teen drama Skins. He has since gone on to star in big Hollywood productions Black Panther, Queen and Slim and Judas and the Black Messiah, for which he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.