Warner Bros. is 'Celebrating Every Story' in new Seoul exhibit

Marking the centennial of the Hollywood powerhouse’s establishment, a special exhibition titled “Celebrating Every Story” kicked off on Saturday at the DDP in central Seoul, inviting movie fans to look back on some of their favorite characters.

A balloon blowup of a cartoon-drawn Batman character is placed in front of the entrace for the ″Celebrating Every Story″ exhibition at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Dongdaemun District, central Seoul, on Nov. 17, a day before the official opening of the exhibition. [WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT]

Harry Potter, Batman, Tom and Jerry and Willy Wonka have all gathered under one roof at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) to celebrate the 100th birthday of their creator: Warner Bros. Entertainment.

Marking the centennial of the Hollywood powerhouse’s establishment, a special exhibition titled “Celebrating Every Story” kicked off on Saturday at the DDP in central Seoul, inviting movie fans to look back on the beginnings and ongoing journeys of some of their favorite characters.

As is apparent at the exhibition, Warner Bros. has indeed been the force behind some of the most successful film series and the most iconic fictional characters to grace the silver screen. Officially established in 1923 by the Warner brothers — Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack — the production and distribution company has made endless hit films, such as the “Harry Potter” series (2001-2011), “The Dark Knight” trilogy (2005-2012), “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015) and classic cartoons such as “Looney Tunes” and “Tom and Jerry.”

A timeline of some of Warner Bros. Entertainment's most famous films and characters is on display at the ″Celebrating Every Story″ exhibition at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Dongdaemun District, central Seoul, on Nov. 17, a day before the official opening of the exhibition. [WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT]

The “Celebrating Every Story” exhibition is a retrospective on these representative works from Warner Bros., featuring a series of displays that follow the movie-making process, from the screenwriting stage to the visual effects unit.

Visitors to the exhibit will first encounter a large room showing the entire 100-year history of Warner Bros. with a timeline display greeting visitors. The beginnings of the company’s success, with the 1927 film “Jazz Singer” — one of the first feature-length “talkie” films that marked the end of the silent film era — and Academy Award wins for “Casablanca” (1942), are marked on the timeline.

A display of printouts from actual screenplays is on display at the ″Celebrating Every Story″ exhibition at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Dongdaemun District, central Seoul, on Nov. 17, a day before the official opening of the exhibition. [LIM JEONG-WON]

The exhibition is divided into different “departments,” starting with the screenwriting department. Actual excerpts from the screenplays of some of Warner Bros.’ most famous films, including “Inception” (2010) and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (2005), are shown on huge boards and papers hung around the department hall.

Costumes from films such as the ″Harry Potter″ series and more are on display at the ″Celebrating Every Story″ exhibition at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Dongdaemun District, central Seoul, on Nov. 17, a day before the official opening of the exhibition. [LIM JEONG-WON]

Next in line is the costumes and props department, with glass showcases of everything from the wooden wands used in the Harry Potter series to the costumes worn by Willy Wonka and Batman.

An entire corner of the exhibition is dedicated to a humongous Batmobile, the car driven by Batman in “The Dark Knight” trilogy films. An iconic prop that is perhaps as prominent as the human characters in the films, the Batmobile isn’t available to take for a spin, but its mere presence highlights the exhibition’s dedication to show the most important elements of Warner Bros.’ works.

The Batmobile is on display at the ″Celebrating Every Story″ exhibition at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Dongdaemun District, central Seoul, on Nov. 17, a day before the official opening of the exhibition. [LIM JEONG-WON]

Copies of original sketches for the ″Tom and Jerry″ cartoons are on display at the ″Celebrating Every Story″ exhibition at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Dongdaemun District, central Seoul, on Nov. 17, a day before the official opening of the exhibition. [LIM JEONG-WON]

Animation films and cartoons from Warner Bros. couldn't be left out, and the animation department hall of the exhibition features the “Looney Tunes” and “Tom and Jerry” characters that may bring back childhood memories for some. Copies of original sketches from the cartoon series fill an entire wall of the animation department, letting visitors examine the raw initial ideas that the animators and creators had for the characters.

Lifesize figurines of Warner Bros.' most famous fictional characters are on display at the ″Celebrating Every Story″ exhibition at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Dongdaemun District, central Seoul, on Nov. 17, a day before the official opening of the exhibition. [WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT]

Fans of “The Matrix” series (1999-2021) will be delighted with the visual effects department hall, in which an entire room is dedicated to recreating the famous green codes from the films. Walking through the room feels like being inside the matrix itself.

Photo zones are prepared throughout the exhibition with the props, costumes and display rooms, and the final hall of the exhibition ends with a preview of the upcoming Warner Bros. film “Wonka,” which is slated for January next year. The exhibition also comes with a lucky draw event where visitors can cast ballots to win premium official merchandise. The “Celebrating Every Story” exhibition runs through March 31, 2024, at the DDP from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets are 20,000 won ($15) for adults and 15,000 won for children.

A room dedicated to recreating the green codes from ″The Matrix″ trilogy can be seen at the ″Celebrating Every Story″ exhibition at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Dongdaemun District, central Seoul, on Nov. 17, a day before the official opening of the exhibition. [LIM JEONG-WON]

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]