With lots of free time on my hands with no movies to watch at the cinema and not madly rushing around store to find Christmas presents this year, I've been scouring my photo archives to see what delights I could unearth from years gone by to entertain myself. With masks in the news so much in the last ten months of the pandemic, enjoy this collection of ten screen-worn masks from the big and small screen on display at cinemas, theme parks and museums in years past.
Minotaur mask from Immortals
First up is this amazing barbed wire bull mask mask from the 2011 fantasy film, Immortals, which saw Henry Cavill's mortal champion 'Thesesus' chosen by the Greek Gods to battle Mickey Rourke's 'King Hyperion' and his 'Minotaur' henchman (played by Robert Maillet).
Eiko Ishioka was Costume Designer on the Immortals and this fierce mask was photographed on display at ArcLight Hollywood cinema in October 2017.
Lion mask from The Masked Singer
From bulls to lions, and this golden mask was worn by Rumer Willis in the first season of the U.S. version of The Masked Singer.
Marina Toybina was the Emmy-nominated Costume Designer on the costumed celebrity singing competition and this creation was photographed on display at Downtown L.A.'s FIDM Museum & Galleries in August 2019.
Blue Spirit mask from The Last Airbender
Back in 2010, M. Night Shyamalan tried to bring a live-action version of Avatar: The Last Airbender to the big screen. Noah Ringer was cast as the elemental master 'Aang' and Dev Patel played 'Prince Zuko' of the Fire Nation (and wore this 'Blue Spirit' mask) trying to enslave the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom.
Judianna Makovsky was Costume Designer on this film adapted from the first season of Nickelodeon's animated series and this mask was captured on display at ArcLight Hollywood alongside other costumes and props from The Last Airbender in July 2010.
Erik Killmonger tribal mask from Black Panther
In 2018's cultural phenomenon, Black Panther, Michael B. Jordan's villainous 'Erik Killmonger' steals this African tribal mask during a heist on a London museum.
Ruth E. Carter was the Oscar-winning Costume Designer on the Marvel Studios superhero film shining a spotlight on Chadwick Boseman's king of Wakanda, and this outfit and more Black Panther movie costumes were photographed on display at Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre in February 2018.
Dark Elf mask from Thor: The Dark World
Keeping to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and this Dark Elf mask and dagger were featured in 2013's Thor: The Dark World, in which Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder faced off against Christopher Eccleston's Dark Elf, 'Malekith', ruler of Svartalfheim.
Wendy Partridge was Costume Designer on Thor's movie sequel in which the Dark Elves wore these sinister masks. This example was photographed on display at Marvel's Treasures of Asgard temporary exhibit at Disneyland in November 2013.
Catwoman mask from The Dark Knight Rises
It's no surprise that masks feature heavily in comic book adaptations and in 2012's The Dark Knight Rises, Anne Hathaway sported this high-tech mask as the cat burglar, 'Catwoman'.
Lindy Hemming was Costume Designer on all three installments of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy and this mask and accompanying cat-suit was snapped exhibited at ArcLight Hollywood in July 2012.
Bane mask from Batman & Robin
Keeping to Batman foes, and 1997's Batman & Robin featured a very different 'Bane' to Tom Hardy's incarnation featured in The Dark Knight Rises.
Pro-wrestler Jeep Swenson played the henchman of Uma Thurman's 'Poison Ivy' in Joel Schumacher's movie sequel and wore this more comic book-inspired mask, which was on display at Warner Bros. Studios VIP Tour Museum in July 2014.
Deadshot mask from Suicide Squad
A few years later and Will Smith's 'Deadshot' mask with monocle was on display at the same museum location from the 2016 movie, Suicide Squad.
Kate Hawley was Costume Designer on the DC Comics movie about a group of assassins, mercenaries and supervillains working for a shadowy government agency in exchange for a reduction in their prison sentences.
Enik the Altrusian mask from Land of the Lost
In 2009 Will Ferrell starred in a big screen remake of Sid and Marty Krofft's 1974 television series, Land of the Lost.
This prosthetic head from the movie was worn by John Boylan as 'Erik the Altrusian', leader of the 'Sleestak' lizard humanoids and photographed on display at Universal Studios Hollywood theme park in April 2011.
Venetian masquerade masks from Eyes Wide Shut
And finally for this assortment of screen-worn masks, this quintet of Venetian masquerade ball masks were featured in 1999's erotic psychological mystery drama from director Stanley Kubrik, Eyes Wide Shut.
Marit Allen was Costume Designer on this film starring Nicole Kidman (who wears the feathered mask) and Tom Cruise, and these masks were photographed at Stanley Kubrick's exhibit at L.A.'s County Museum of Art in January 2013.
I hope you've enjoyed these cinematic and TV treasures. Stay safe this festive season and make sure you wear an appropriate mask to protect yourself and others.
