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(CNN) – Do you miss the iconic characters of “Breaking Bad”? Don’t worry, the drug-dealing protagonists of the famous TV show will soon be immortalized with larger-than-life bronze statues in New Mexico.
Sony Pictures Television announced the unveiling of the statues in a press release on Monday. The bronze statues of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, played by actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, were sculpted by artist Trevor Grove and cast by American Fine Arts Foundry, the statement said. They were donated to the city of Albuquerque by Vince Gilligan, the creator of “Breaking Bad,” and Sony, who distributed the show.
The statues will be unveiled July 29 at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Gilligan, Cranston and Paul will attend the event, in addition to Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller.
“In fifteen years, two TV shows and a movie, Albuquerque has been wonderful to us. I wanted to give back and give something back,” Gilligan said in the statement.
“These larger-than-life bronzes of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman exist thanks to the generosity of Sony Pictures Television and the artistry of sculptor Trevor Grove, and I love them. It makes me happy to imagine them adorning The Duke City for decades to come, attracting busloads of tourists.
The five-season series was shot and filmed in Albuquerque. The story features Cranston as Walter White, a demoralized high school teacher who has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer. Hoping to secure his family’s financial future before he dies, he teams up with a former college student to make and sell crystal meth. The show also spawned a critically acclaimed prequel series, “Better Call Saul,” which began airing its final episodes this week, and a Netflix movie.
“We are thrilled and honored to have bronze statues of our Breaking Bad characters permanently placed at the Convention Center in downtown Albuquerque,” Cranston and Paul said in a joint comment in Sony’s statement.
“This city has meant a lot to us over the years, and we want to thank everyone at ABQ, not only for being great hosts through our show and Better Call Saul, but also for being an important character in narration.”
“We also appreciate that the statues are indoors, and therefore protected from the pigeons laying down their criticisms on our heads.”
The beloved TV show has been a driving force behind tourism in Albuquerque, with several companies offering “Breaking Bad”-themed tours and events in the city. Keller also expressed his gratitude for the show’s influence in Sony’s statement.
“The cast and crew of Breaking Bad changed American television and played an unmistakable role in our city’s meteoric rise in the motion picture industry,” Keller said. “In Albuquerque, they have been our friends and neighbors for a decade and a half, and we will always be grateful to this team.”
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