Wonder Woman lassoes Niagara Falls
If you thought the Victoria Day fireworks over the Horseshoe Falls were more wonderful than usual, you weren’t seeing things.
In a surprise move by Warner Brothers and Niagara Parks Commission, two giant ‘W’s in red, blue and gold were shot into the sky as part of the annual fireworks celebration in Niagara Falls. At the same time, a massive 21-storey image depicting a certain Amazonian princess was projected onto the Oakes Hotel.
It was all part of a promotion the film studio has with the Niagara Parks Commission and the upcoming Niagara Falls Comic Con for the June 2 release of Wonder Woman, one of the summer’s most anticipated movies.
The movie opens the same day as Comic Con, and fans can go to an early matinee screening by showing up in costume (or Wonder Woman colours) at Table Rock that morning to march to Scotiabank Convention Centre for a ribboncutting.
Later that night, Niagara Parks Commission will dedicate its nightly fireworks show using only her colours, shooting giant ‘W’s into the sky at regular intervals.
Niagara Falls Comic Con co-owner James Ponce says it’s a perfect opportunity to link the three-day event with a likely blockbuster.
“We’ve been working with Warner Brothers for a couple of years now on different things, and it just worked out and fell in the laps of both of us that Wonder Woman is releasing the same day as our show,” he says.
“It creates awareness, and it’s really a landmark film too because it’s the first female-driven superhero movie.”
People participating in the march will be shuttled to Niagara Square Cinemas for a free private screening of Wonder Woman.
Warner Brothers will also have a Wonder Woman booth at Comic Con, giving away prizes throughout the weekend, with a chance to win one of the film’s replica tiaras. The grand prize will be a poster signed by the cast.
It’s not the first time Warner Brothers has partnered with Niagara Parks Commission for a superhero event. In 2006, the Superman logo was displayed on the American Falls on the weekend Superman Returns opened, bringing the franchise back to the city where portions of Superman II were filmed.
With a wealth of superhero movies coming out over the next few years, Ponce says it likely isn’t the last time Comic Con links up with a big studio.
“We’d love to. We’re always trying every year to come up with new ideas to give the fans the best experience we can.”