Hollywood sign gets makeover ahead of its centennial in 2023

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Hollywood sign is getting a makeover befitting its status as a Tinseltown icon. After a pressure-wash and some rust removal, workers this week began using 250 gallons of primer and white paint to spruce up the sign ahead of its centennial next year. The entire renovation effort is expected to take up to eight weeks. Originally built in 1923, the sign read “Hollywoodland” to promote a property development. But after decades of neglect, the sign was shortened to read “Hollywood” and then was replaced in 1978 with a new one. The 45-foot-tall sign in the Hollywood Hills above Los Angeles is repainted every decade.