How do you even begin to bring to life such a massive undertaking asWicked? There are several starting points to a production of this magnitude, but one of the first steps is deciding how everything is going to look. to do that, concept artists and a VFX team are put together early on so that they can work a little magic. InWicked’s case, it’s not a coincidence that the movie was nominated in the Best Visual Effects and Best Costume Design categories — in addition to theother eight nominations at the Oscars. Today, Collider can exclusively reveal some frames from the blockbuster’s concept art, courtesy of Framestore’s Art Department.
The images make it absolutely clear how much work is put into a concept before and after it’s approved. to bring Doctor Dillamond (voiced byPeter Dinklage) to life, for example, the concept artists and the visual effects team visited a goat sanctuary just so they could have a look at several different breeds, sizes, and shapes of goats so that they could start building from it. Concept artistDan Bakerrevealed that “because he was so iconic and central to the film he went through a long process of careful choices and collaboration" with directorJon M. Chu.
As you probably can imagine, a similar process was done for the entirefaculty of Shiz, and all animals had to be built from scratch. The team mixed and matched designs, clothing, and subjects taught by all the animals before landing on the final versions we see on screen. This also happened with the Ozdust band, a group of characters that the VFX team needed to combine sizes and proportions in order tomake a visual wonderthat would prompt viewers to look at the intricate details that made the band fun to watch.
‘Wicked’ Is Still Defying Gravity
The extended run of the musical in theaters all over the world has proven fruitful. In the last couple of weeks, the movie managed tocross the $700 million markat the box office, which made it one of the highest-grossing non-sequels ever. As the movie makes the transition to streaming, we will likely get news of other records that Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) break in this new territory. Aside from the Best Special Effects and Costume Design nominations,Wickedalso received nominations in the main categories of the Oscars, including Best Picture and acting categories for Erivo and Grande. The movie also received nominations at theBAFTAs, theCritics' Choice Awards, and several others.
Wickedis available to watch in theaters and to stream at home. Check out our exclusive look at the film’s concept art above.
The story of how a green-skinned woman framed by the Wizard of Oz becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. The first of a two-part feature film adaptation of the Broadway musical.
