Hollywood is full of famous names and faces. The sidewalk along part of Los Angeles’ Hollywood Boulevard is dotted with thousands of stars marked with A-list names from past and present. And while human talent is forever celebrated in Tinseltown, there’s another part of moviesets and their storylines that wouldn’t be complete without cars.
Automotive plays an integral role in many major Hollywood films, and not just car-focused films, like the Fast & Furious saga or Disney’s animated Cars. Four-wheeled machines work as supporting actors all the time, they just don’t often receive the credit they deserve.
The latest movie collab for Lexus: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the all-new 2023 RZ 450e.
“The technology, creativity, and imagination we encounter in the futuristic nation of Wakanda is a natural fit for the sustainable, global society Lexus envisions with the introduction of our most advanced vehicle ever, the fully-electric RZ 450e, further extending our electrified vehicle portfolio,” said Vinay Shahani, Lexus vice president of marketing in a release.
We’re looking back at some of the top Lexus movie moments over the years. Scroll on for seven of the best.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, 2022
Car featured: 2023 Lexus RZ 450e (90-second short)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, directed by Ryan Coogler, is the latest installment of Marvel Comic’s Black Panther character. Leading up to the film’s debut, Marvel and Lexus released a 90-second short that featured the 2023 RZ 450e, the new all-electric four-door wagon. In the short, the EV is filled with Dora Milaje, the all-female special forces army who protect the land of Wakanda, as they maneuver the vehicle through a bustling cityscape looking completely at home in the electrified wagon.
Moonfall, 2022
Car featured: 2022 Lexus NX
The 2022 NX confidently shares the screen with Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson and Michael Peña in Moonfall, a sci-fi thriller. The NX fit seamlessly into the flick thanks to its “bold styling, intuitive technology, and connected driving,” Vinay Shahani, VP of Marketing at Lexus, explained in a release. Lexus appears throughout the film, but it’s the minutes-long chase through a gravity storm wave where the crossover really shines.
Men in Black: International, 2019
Car featured: 2020 Lexus RC F
The Lexus RC F is the ride of choice for agents in the fourth installment of Men in Black. The black-on-black performance coupes are spotted at various points during the film. Lexus created a “truly one-of-a-kind alien fighting machine,” according to Lisa Materazzo, VP of Lexus Marketing in the UK. She’s not wrong. Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson look right at home in the RC F sports cars as they protect the galaxy from harm.
Black Panther, 2018
Car featured: Lexus LC 500
If you watched the inaugural Black Panther movie starring the late Chadwick Boseman and co-star Lupita Nyong’o, you probably noticed the Lexus LC 500. The Marvel flick was a box office success, generating $1.3B and snagging multiple industry awards. Though the luxury performance-focused LC 500 didn’t take home any trophies itself, it played an integral part in the movie and looked perfectly capable on screen.
Minority Report, 2002
Car featured: Lexus 2054
Harald Belker, a German product designer known for his over-the-top concept cars , is the man responsible for the iconic red Lexus 2054 in Steven Speilberg’s Minority Report (he also did a concept for Batman & Robin). The futuristic machine is manned by Tom Cruise in several scenes and was named one of the Best Movie Future Cars by automotive authority website Jalopnik.
The Island, 2005
Car featured: Lexus 2054 EV
Three years after the Lexus 2054 EV garnered so much attention in Minority Report, director Michael Bay snuck it into his sci-fi flick, too. The appearance of the Lexus concept is a playful Easter egg planted within The Island, and only true fans of Minority Report might notice the red 2054 EV nonchalantly placed in the scene. Around an hour into The Island is where you can spot the 2054 EV along with other iterations of it passing by on the street.