We join Kate Winslet in waiting to see if Leonardo DiCaprio wins his first and much-deserved Oscar (fingers crossed here but I also fear it may “break the Internet”). However, another thing we are looking forward to this year happens to be the statue itself. The famous gold man holding a sword (yes there’s a sword, don’t ask us why) has gone for a little makeover, just in time for the ceremony. With an 88-year long legacy, there is a certain class that will forever be attached to the award. This year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is bringing back some of that old-school glamour by revisiting the original statue when the award ceremony first began. Actually, the base of the statue is a stylized film reel, something else quite old-school since many people wouldn’t even recognize a film reel today.

A rubber mold of the 3D print is made and used to make a wax pattern for each bronze Oscar® casting.

Originally modelled by MGM Art Director Cedric Gibbons, the statuette has signified movie excellence since its inception in 1929. Standing at 13.5 inches and weighing a hefty 8.5 pounds, these were initially gold-plated solid bronze, but were then replaced, in favor of Britannia metal. From 1982 till 2015, the statues had been made by Chicago-based R.S Owens & Co. It was plated with copper and nickel-silver before, and during World War 2 it was even made in painted plaster, but now the Bronze-Gold combination is back to reclaim the spotlight, with a few updated touches.

After molten bronze is cast into the ceramic mold, the Oscars® are cut loose from their plumbing systems and sanded and polished by hand.

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The Polish Tallix Fine Art Foundry based in Rock Tavern, New York has been touching the new statuettes with 3D Technology and electro-plating, as well hand-buffing for a smooth satin-effect. This long process of doing up 50 statuettes took 3 months. The result is a gleaming gold statue with “restored subtle features’ by the manufacturer. Award recipients will not only be cementing their status amongst the industry’s elite but also be holding a century’s worth of Hollywood history in their palms.

The 88th Oscars is set to air on February 28 across more than 225 countries.

Images are courtesy of ©A.M.P.A.S.®