Few genres explore the future of technology and the outer reaches of our imaginations quite like science fiction. And this speculative fiction combined with Hollywood’s creativity has given us iconic films painting Utopian and often dystopian futures, such as ‘Back to the Future’, ‘Blade Runner’, ‘Ghost in the Shell’, ‘Transformers’ and ‘I, Robot’. And glimpses of automobiles of the future have formed a major part of these.
With this the Petersen Automotive Museum has announced an exhibit showcasing over 40 cars of the future as seen in cult classic Hollywood films and video games, including Batmobiles, the Back to the Future DeLorean time machine and much more. Called ‘Hollywood Dream Machines: Vehicles of Science Fiction and Fantasy’, it is produced in collaboration with Comic-Con Museum with additional support from Audi and Microsoft. The new exhibit will open at the Los Angeles museum on May 4 and will run until March 15 next year.
The vehicles on display at the exhibit, as well as the time machine from ‘Back to the Future’ and Batmobiles, will also include the Warthog from ‘Halo’, the 2035 Audi RSQ from ‘I, Robot’, 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’, and more besides. It’s not just about the famous automobiles either, as the exhibit will also showcase a selection of concept artwork, props and costumes to explore and analyze the genre.
“‘Hollywood Dream Machines’ will be the biggest exhibit of our 25th anniversary,” said Petersen Automotive Museum executive director Terry L. Karges. “With more than 40 vehicles from the silver screen spread across the museum, the exhibit is an ode to the industry that Los Angeles was built upon. We can’t wait to explore the fantasy and fictional concepts behind these extraordinary vehicles with the world.”
The exhibit will also feature a Microsoft HoloLens experience called ‘Worlds Reimagined’. The mixed reality experience will provide guests the opportunity to try this immersive technology, and see the Warthog from ‘Halo’ and the ‘Back to the Future’ time machine in a whole new way. Tickets for the exhibit’s opening reception, which takes place on the evening of May 4, are on sale now.
Images courtesy of the Petersen Automotive Museum
