The newly-renovated global headquarters of the Motion Picture Association.

/ Courtesy of the Motion Picture Association

Were it not for the giant statue of Batman on the ground floor, you might not recognize the D.C. office of the Motion Picture Association. The global headquarters for the trade association that represents six major film studios sits on the eighth floor of an inconspicuous office building near Lafayette Square. And over the past few months, it’s also become home to some pretty iconic film memorabilia.

Formerly known as the Motion Picture Association of America, the organization rebranded in September to reflect its global reach. (There are seven offices outside of the U.S.) But the newly renovated building hasn’t officially been open to the public. As the hall began filling up with more and more film relics this fall, staffers noticed passersby stop to take photos from outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

According to an MPA spokesperson, the exhibit will only be open to the public via a series of open houses, with the first one planned for sometime between January and March 2020. “From premiere screenings to events with elected officials to community events for local artists and students, this building is where Hollywood and Washington will meet,” chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin said in a statement.

Some of the coolest collectibles on display, behind UV-protected display cases on the first and eighth floors, include the Superman costume worn by Christopher Reeve in 1978, the baseball uniform Ann Cusack wore in A League of Their Own, and the Sorting Hat from the Harry Potter series. At the entrance to the in-house theater, visitors can also see the Heart of the Ocean necklace worn by Kate Winslet in Titanic. 

Other highlights include De-Atomizer guns from the Men In Black series, Jim Halpert’s “Best Dad” Dundie Award from The Office, the Batblade from the 1997 film Batman & Robin, and a Gucci jacket from Rocketman, signed by star Taron Egerton and Elton John himself.

How exactly did the MPA secure all this cool stuff? Most people recognize the organization for inventing the film ratings system in 1968. (They’re the ones behind the warnings you see before movie trailers.) But the MPA is also the advocacy arm for the film, TV, and streaming industry, handling copyright and anti-piracy work for its member studios—which include heavyweights Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, and Netflix. The MPA also leads the Alliance for Creativity and Innovation, which includes more international studios in the effort to stop piracy.

These partnerships make it relatively easy for MPA to house film memorabilia from the studios, which it began collecting in late August when the renovations were completed. The association will host items on a rotating basis, and the next batch is scheduled to arrive in February or March, the spokesperson said.

Film screenings in its new theater, which seats 118 people and has 4K capabilities, remain invite-only, and the MPA often hosts local film students at screenings and panel discussions with producers, actors, and movie executives. Recently, students from D.C.’s Richard Wright Public Charter School for Journalism and Media Arts toured the exhibit and met with MPA leaders.

While the MPA is becoming more public-facing in D.C., it’s been part of Washington life since moving its headquarters to the I Street address in 1945. The Library of Congress and Smithsonian sold the original building, formerly the Tuckerman House, to the Motion Picture Association of America in 1945. The current building was constructed in 1968, and renovations have been in the works for the last five years.

There’s No Paywall Here

DCist is supported by a community of members … readers just like you. So if you love the local news and stories you find here, don’t let it disappear!

Become a Member