Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, participated in the launch of Wonder Woman 1984 by illuminating some footage from the movie across the structure.
On Tuesday, the official Twitter account of the building shared a video in which it is lit up with images and clips from the "Wonder Woman" trailer, days before the movie release in the United Arab Emirates.
"Burj Khalifa lights up in celebration of the release of Wonder Woman 1984 in cinemas on December 17. Book your tickets now! #WW84," the caption said.
برج خليفة يضيء احتفالاً بإطلاق فيلمWonder Woman 1984 في السينمات يوم 17 ديسمبر! احجزوا تذاكركم الآن في #ريل_سينما#BurjKhalifalights up in celebration of the release of Wonder Woman 1984 in cinemas on December 17. Book your tickets now at @reelcinemas! #WW84 pic.twitter.com/7tiFbXkoPy
— Burj Khalifa (@BurjKhalifa) December 15, 2020
The UAE is one of the few places that will see the highly-anticipated movie release this weekend. The UK is the second nation to release the DC film a week before the US premiere.
Gal Gadot, who plays the main character of the movie, shared the video on her official Instagram and said she is grateful for such a great honor.
"This is unreal! #WW84 covering the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai," Gadot wrote alongside the video.
In the wake of the normalization agreements between Israel and the UAE, the appearance of the Israeli star on the emblematic Emirati building strengthens ties and hope for further collaboration between the two countries.On the same evening, the Wonder Woman 1984 Virtual World Premiere took place in the ultimate DC fan-first destination - the DC FanDome Hall of Heroes, usually dedicated to behind-the-scenes featurettes about the making of the movie.The Wonder Woman 1984 virtual premiere was hosted by Tiffany Smith and featured Jenkins as well as franchise star Gal Gadot.Other cast members will include Chris Pine (Steve Trevor), Kristen Wiig (Cheetah), and Pedro Pascal (Maxwell Lord), who also answered fan-submitted questions live.The cast Q&A was followed by world-renowned composer Hans Zimmer giving a one-of-a-kind performance, as well as an exclusive sneak peek at the film.This is unreal! WW84 covering the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai ✨ pic.twitter.com/Ygjg2DvzHW
— Gal Gadot (@GalGadot) December 16, 2020
Earlier this month, AT&T's Warner Bros studio said that Wonder Woman 1984 will debut simultaneously in US theaters and on AT&T Inc's HBO Max streaming service starting on Christmas Day, an unusual release plan prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.
The blockbuster film will be shown in theaters outside the United States, where HBO Max is not available, starting on December 16.
"For a movie of this scale, this is unprecedented," WarnerMedia Chief Executive Jason Kilar said in a blog post explaining why the company decided to provide the movie in homes and theaters at the same time.
Movies typically play exclusively in cinemas for roughly 75 days before they become available elsewhere.
An action spectacle starring Gal Gadot, Wonder Woman 1984 had originally been scheduled to reach cinemas in June 2020.
But Hollywood studios delayed most of their summer blockbusters until 2021 as the virus has kept many theaters in key markets closed, devastating theater operators including AMC Entertainment and Cineworld Group Plc.
Wonder Woman 1984 was moved several times and is the last big-budget action film on the 2020 schedule.
Director Patty Jenkins, who had pushed for a theatrical release, supported the plan.
"At some point you have to choose to share any love and joy you have to give over everything else," Jenkins wrote on Twitter. "We truly hope that our film brings a little bit of joy and reprieve to all of you this holiday season."Gadot said the move "wasn't an easy decision."
"We never thought we'd have to hold onto the release for such a long time," she tweeted, "but COVID rocked all of our worlds."