Forty years after a lightning bolt gave Number 5 a soul, Astoria welcomes Johnny 5 home with rare movie props, screenings and one golden piece of film history.
Whoo-hoo! One of our favorite films of the 1980s, Short Circuit, is officially celebrating its 40th anniversary.
The heartwarming sci-fi adventure introduced moviegoers to Number 5, a military robot struck by lightning who suddenly discovers curiosity, personality and the very human desire to stay alive.
Four decades later, Johnny 5 is still alive—and returning to the Oregon town that helped make his story unforgettable.
Forty years of movie memories, rare props and the robot who taught an entire generation that life was not a malfunction.
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Astoria, Oregon is marking the anniversary with the official Short Circuit 40th Anniversary and Astoria Film Celebration, running from June 5 through June 7, 2026.
The weekend brings cast and crew appearances, screenings, panel discussions, workshops, movie merchandise, trivia, an ’80s prom and enough nostalgia to overload every available circuit.
Astoria is more than a convenient place to host the party. Its riverfront, streets and historic homes appear throughout Short Circuit, giving Johnny 5’s escape into the wider world its unmistakable Pacific Northwest atmosphere.
The town’s relationship with the movie has only grown stronger over time. Fans continue visiting filming locations, including Stephanie Speck’s hillside home, while Astoria’s museums preserve the region’s long connection to the movies filmed there.
A Golden Johnny 5 Rolls Into the Heritage Museum
At the center of the new Short Circuit exhibition at Astoria’s Heritage Museum is a gold Johnny 5 robot connected to the 1988 sequel, Short Circuit 2.
The metallic movie survivor is joined by rare props and memorabilia that bring the practical craftsmanship behind Johnny 5 back into view. Long before computer-generated characters could be dropped into nearly any frame, this robot had to exist physically, move through real locations and convince audiences that something mechanical had discovered a heart.
That remains the magic of Johnny 5. His expressive lenses, nervous movements and constant hunger for “input” made a machine feel vulnerable, funny and completely alive.
Archival images: Original Short Circuit poster artwork via Tri-Star Pictures; Short Circuit 2 production still via Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images.
For those of us raised on 1980s movies, Short Circuit belongs to a particular kind of childhood imagination. The robot was futuristic, but his story was simple and deeply human: learning the difference between existing and living.
Johnny 5 wanted knowledge, friendship and freedom. He did not want to be dismantled, reset or treated like a weapon simply because that was what his creators originally intended.
That is why the film remains more than a collection of familiar quotes and mechanical effects. Beneath the comedy was a story about consciousness, empathy and the right to define yourself after the world has already decided what you are supposed to be.
Forty years later, the practical effects may carry the glow of another era, but Johnny 5’s spark still connects.
Number 5 is alive—and Astoria is making sure nobody forgets it.
Dig out the behind-the-scenes local footage and a closer look at the golden Johnny 5 exhibit right below.
Watch Astoria prepare for the Short Circuit 40th anniversary celebration.
KGW News visits Astoria for a look at the anniversary celebration, the town’s connection to the movie and the gold Johnny 5 arriving at the Heritage Museum.
Sources: The Oregon Film Museum and Clatsop County Historical Society presented the official anniversary celebration; KGW News reported from Astoria and previewed the gold Johnny 5 display.
