Oscars 2016: Oscar Statue Gets A Sexy New Look – Taller With More Muscle

The coveted Oscar statue has gotten a minor makeover by the New York-based Polich Tallix Fine Art Foundry. The company took over from the Chicago-based company R.S. Owens & Co., which have made the statues since 1982.

In a statement, the Academy says the new manufacturer has “restored subtle features” from the original sculpture, using a cast bronze example from 1929.

“With the help of the 21st-century technology, we’re able to honor the Oscar’s proud beginnings,” said Cheryl Boone Isaacs, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The statement also explained how the famous statues are made:

“Polich Tallix started its Oscar-making process by creating digital scans of the 1929 statuette and a modern-era pedestal base. The digital Oscar was then 3D-printed and molded so the form could be cast in wax.”

“Each wax statuette is coated in a ceramic shell that is cured and fired at 1,600°F, melting the wax away and leaving an empty Oscar-shaped form. The statuettes are then cast in liquid bronze at more than 1,800°F, cooled, and sanded to a mirror polish finish.”

“The figure portion of each Oscar is electroplated with a permanent layer of reflective 24-karat gold by Epner Technology, a renowned high-tech specification electroplating company in Brooklyn. The statuette’s bronze base receives a smooth black patina, which is hand-buffed to a satin finish.”

The dimensions are still the same, standing 13.5 inches tall, and weighing 8.5 pounds.

“There are some benefits [of bronze] from a strength and durability standpoint,” said Polich Tallix Executive Vice President Adam Demchak, “but I think the Academy was mostly looking for the historical concept.”

Last December, Demchak was given the modern model of the statue and also the one from 1929. He was able to combine the two to create the newest model.

​“We were able to pull a lot of the features from the original Oscar, [when] the form was more defined,” Demchak said.

“We refined he musculature, the hairline, the jawline,” he added.

The new statue took three months to create. The 88th Annual Academy Awards are live on ABC Sunday night.