Sartaj Singh
Directed by Jon M. Chu, ‘Wicked’ is a musical fantasy film that transports us to the Land of Oz where two contrasting students of the magical Shiz University embark on an adventure that will alter their world. Born with green skin, Elphaba Thropp is feared and misunderstood despite her considerable arcane potential. Galinda Upland, on the other hand, is popular and charismatic, bursting with bubbly energy. As the two uncover their abilities at the university, an unlikely friendship develops between them.
The aspiring witches set off on a journey to Emerald City to meet an enigmatic wizard, where their newfound bond is put to the test. ‘Wicked’ is the first in a two-part adaptation of Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s stage musical of the same name, which is loosely based on Gregory Maguire’s eponymous 1995 novel. The film stands out for its awe-inspiring and fantastical world-building, which somehow also feels tangible as the characters’ stories are woven through it.
Wicked Filming Locations
‘Wicked’ was filmed across England, primarily on studio locations and sets in Ivinghoe, Norfolk, and Borehamwood. Principal photography began in December 2022 and had to pause in July 2023 owing to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Shooting resumed after the strike’s conclusion and wrapped up by January 26, 2024. The movie went through several delays even before cameras were rolling, and shooting was initially set to begin in June 2022, but the scale of the production necessitated postponement. Earlier plans also involved using a studio in Atlanta, Georgia, to create sets for the majority of the filming.
Ivinghoe, Buckinghamshire
Ivinghoe, a village in east Buckinghamshire, served as the main filming location for ‘Wicked,’ where the Land of Oz was brought to life through the construction of enormous sets in a farmer’s field. The exterior of Shiz University, Munchkinland, and the giant tulip field were constructed as practical sets by the production team. Even the emerald train seen in the film is an actual 16-ton locomotive designed by the team that took two days to be transported to the set after it was constructed.
Chu has revealed that he drew significant inspiration from Steven Spielberg’s ‘Hook’ to create massive sets, use practical effects, and rely minimally on CGI. After the construction of the elaborate Munchkinland set in Ivinghoe, the team planted around nine million vibrant tulips around it to create a fairytale landscape. Furthermore, the crew got to work paving the expansive yellow brick road through the field, using both painted yellow bricks and mats with yellow brick designs set on top of regular cement blocks. While a musical sequence was being shot on the Munchkinland set, a paparazzo flew over the area on a hand glider with GoPro cameras attached to his feet, and lead actress Ariana Grande said that she couldn’t believe her eyes.
Borehamwood, England
‘Wicked’ made use of the soundstages in Sky Studios Elstree, a movie production studio situated on Rowley Lane in Borehamwood. Borehamwood is a town in southern Hertfordshire, just north of London, famous for the historic Elstree Studios. The relatively newer Sky Studios Elstree welcomed ‘Wicked’ as the very first production to set up shop in the studio. A majority of the interior sets of the movie were constructed using state-of-the-art soundstages and facilities provided by it.
“We built huge, impressively detailed sets on the brand-new stages at Sky Studios Elstree, which provided the perfect studio environment for the shoot, with the bonus of it being in close proximity to London,” said producer Marc Platt in an interview. “With over 3,000 roles employed behind the camera, it was fantastic that some of these could be filled by the freelance film community living within the local area.” Filming using the studio location also creates an easier setup for CGI, visual effects, and stunts that were included to simulate magical sequences. Sky Studios Elstree is populated with 12 soundstages ranging between 10,000 and 40,000 square feet. The facility has also received permission from the Hertsmere Borough Council to build sets without the lengthy planning process usually required in England.
Norfolk, England
Besides the tulip field in Ivinghoe surrounding the Munchkinland set, the production team behind ‘Wicked’ planted a much larger tulip field in West Norfolk. The field was reportedly sowed in Terrington Marsh, west of King’s Lynn, and spanned 21 acres, or 12 football pitches. The tulips were planted in rows of vibrant colors. The Terrington Marsh served as a decoy airfield during World War II and is now a part of expansive farmlands.
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