Giant Topless Jeff Goldblum Statute Appears in Central London

A 25-foot-tall semi-naked statue of actor Jeff Goldblum has appeared in central London today—but why?

The statue depicts an iconic scene in Jurassic Park where Goldblum's character Dr. Ian Malcolm is leaning back with his shirt open after being attacked by a Tyrannosaurus Rex. The scene has become a world-famous meme in recent years, with Funko Pop! even making an action figure depicting the pose.

According to BBC, the statue was erected to mark the 25th anniversary of the release of Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park, one of the most beloved movies of all time. The 330 pound piece of art was commissioned by streaming service NowTV and will sit in Potters Field, near Tower Bridge, until next Thursday. It is unclear where it will go after that.

Gold
A giant half-naked statue of Jeff Goldblum has appeared in central London. Youtube/Screenshot

Fans of Jurassic Park and Goldblum have already started flocking to the site, with some posting their selfies with the statue on social media.

Omg an effigy of my fav person ever @nowtv #JurassicJeff @jeffgoldblum pic.twitter.com/dWBrQBG6lk

— Shae Harmon (they/them) (@shazzah_harm) July 18, 2018

Not your usual sight for a Wednesday morning. Giant @jeffreygoldbIum on the bank of the Thames #JurassicJeff #NowTV pic.twitter.com/P7B4a5Tt33

— Jennifer Smith (@JenniferSmithPA) July 18, 2018

Statue of Jeff Goldblum at #towerbridge
I believe this is life size: he’s a giant of a man #JeffGoldblum pic.twitter.com/y8fYFk5fz9

— Mr Gilchrist (@gilchristeng) July 18, 2018

Jurassic Jeff is my new favourite thing! 😍 #jurassicjeff @jeffreygoldbIum pic.twitter.com/P8sxxOJxbk

— Lene Padda (@Lene12622) July 18, 2018

This statue of Jeff Goldblum's iconic pose is officially London's best sight seeing attraction #JurassicPark pic.twitter.com/y8OTMIOvE2

— B-Koceila Lassal (@BelaidKL) July 18, 2018

Somehow a gigantic statue of an open-shirted Jeff Goldblum appeared at Tower Bridge and it's not even in the top 10 strange things happening today pic.twitter.com/CQWOtKiOsV

— Good News Hackney (@GoodNewsHackney) July 18, 2018

Earlier this year, Goldblum addressed long-standing rumors on why he has so many topless scenes in the Jurassic franchise. "It's supposed to be Costa Rica, right? So things are hot and I'm sure I'm in some sort of fever," he said. "So all the logic is that we got to get some of these wet clothes off immediately. As I remember, I don't think anybody fought me on that."

Jurassic Park is a 1993 sci-fi film that takes place in a world where dinosaurs exist. Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Ian Malcolm (Goldblum) are among a group of people chosen to tour an amusement park on an island populated with various dinosaurs that have been created with DNA found in fossils.

Jurassic Park won three Oscars for best sound, best effects editing, and best visual effects, alongside a slew of other awards.

IMDB has ranked the movie as the 184th best film of all time.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer



To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.

Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go