Behind The Scenes Of Wicked’s Set Design
The film adaptation of Wicked has officially arrived in theaters! Behind the incredible performances and musical numbers, there are also some mind blowing sets. (That’s right, over 90% of the movie featured sets, not CGI!) But how did the production team make it happen – and defy gravity and expectations? Let’s take a behind-the-scenes look at Wicked’s set design!
wicked’s set design
Munchkinland Tulip Fields
As part of Munchkinland, over 9 million tulips were planted in the British countryside! The immense rows of multicolored bulbs were used to create a backdrop of rainbow stripes in the film. The heads of the flowers were also harvested and used as materials for the roofs of the Munchkins’ homes, too.
wicked’s set design
Shiz University
At Sky Studios Elstree near London, the designers created an entire university, Shiz, where Elphaba and Glinda first meet. The design is a blend of Moorish, Italianate, and Surrealist with deep arches, onion domes, and a library with undulating curves. A huge water tank was also constructed for students’ arrival by boat!
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wicked’s set design
Enchanted Forest
For scenes in the Enchanted Forest, a unique and lush landscape was created from scratch. The Ozian trees, with sinuous curving trunks, were made using plaster molds of actual trunks to give them a realistic texture. Then faux flowers, grasses and bushes were layered in to create an authentic and magical forest.
wicked’s set design
Emerald City
Inspiration for the look of the Emerald City came from classic architecture, including the Beaux Arts Style and an homage to Carlo Scarpa and Frank Lloyd Wright. The emerald green sets featured lots of decoration and richly ornamented facades. The giant bust in the Wizard’s throne room is actually based on a 3-D scan of actor Jeff Goldblum’s face and can change expressions via a system of moving parts!
