‘Get Out’ star Daniel Kaluuya to get statue in famous London square

British actor Daniel Kaluuya is set to be immortalised with a statue in his home city of London.

His statue – depicting the famed ‘Sunken Place’ scene in Jordan Peele’s critically acclaimed horror hit Get Out in which Kaluuya’s character Chris falls into a hypnosis-induced abyss – will be unveiled this month to coincide with both Halloween and the UK’s Black History Month.  

Get Out is a satirical commentary on racism in America and highlights the lived experiences of Black Americans.

35-year-old Oscar-winning star of Black Panther, Judas and the Black Messiah and Nope got his breakout role in 2017’s Get Out, and was chosen from a poll of 5,000 British film fans as the actor people would most like to see as part of the “Scenes in the Square” trail in Leicester Square.

Kaluuya landed one fifth of the vote.

Since 2020, Heart of London Business Alliance and Westminster City Council have overseen the “Scenes in the Square” statue trail in the famous Square, which has fast become one of London’s most popular free tourist attractions. The trail features some of the world’s most beloved film characters and iconic scenes, brought to life in bronze statue form.

Kaluuya will join statues of Mary Poppings, Gene Kelly, Harry Potter, Charlie Chaplin, Paddington Bear, Wonder Woman and most recently, the Game of Thrones iron throne, Clifford the Big Red Dog and Indiana Jones.

According to Variety, the artwork will represent modern cinematic success and homegrown talent.

“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,” said Mark Williams, deputy chief executive for Heart of London Business Alliance. “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 currently working on the Barney movie, based on the purple dinosaur from the 90s childrens show, Barney & Friends. He is attached to produce the project, which he described as “heartbreaking” in a 2020 interview with EW.

“Barney taught us, ‘I love you, you love me. Won’t you say you love me too?’ That’s one of the first songs I remember, and what happens when that isn’t true? I thought that was really heartbreaking,” Kaluuya said. “I have no idea why but it feels like that makes sense. It feels like there’s something unexpected that can be poignant but optimistic. Especially at this time now, I think that’s really, really needed.”

Additional sources • Variety, EW