“Depraved” posed the best world-building problem of manufacturing designer Nathan Crowley‘s prodigious profession, surpassing “Interstellar” in grandeur and complexity. The return to Ouncesrequired a way of the acquainted and the unknown for its origin story about Elphaba/The Depraved Witch (Cynthia Erivo) and Galinda/Glinda (Ariana Grande). But it additionally wanted a contact of Americana in line with director Jon M. Chu’s imaginative and prescient of the American Dream.
“It’s an American fairy story, and it’s a must to discover a approach in and do one thing unique,” Crowley informed IndieWire. “And that’s the place the issue begins as a result of there’s many trodden paths right here.” He’s referring, after all, to “The Wizard of Oz” 1939 film traditional, Gregory Maguire’s 1995 “Depraved” novel, and the 2003 “Depraved” musical stage adaptation by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman. “So it turns into a problem to design Ouncesand you simply have to choose away at one thing,” he added.
Filming passed off at Sky Studios Elstree, exterior of London, the place large backlot units had been constructed for every Land of Oz. Crowley and his workforce mapped out the movie scene-by-scene, utilizing fashions, illustrations, and visible references to create every setting. Kind and performance had been intently tied, and he prioritized sensible in-camera results at any time when potential.
Crowley began with Munchkinland as a result of the Emerald Metropolis was probably the most daunting, and Shiz College would take time to wrap his head round. “I figured I’d begin there after which found that that was additionally very troublesome as a result of it’s a must to keep away from Center Earth, it’s a must to keep away from Austrian villages.”
The eureka second for Munchkinland was tulips — 9 million of them. “Properly, it has themes and all the colours of the rainbow,” Crowley stated. “And I believe planting the tulips [in a separate location] and doing it virtually [with CG integration on the backlot’s flowered embankments] set us on a sensible filmmaking journey. We’re gonna develop tulips for the Munchkins, and we’re gonna say they’re farmers, and so they use coloration and dyes, and so they promote that in markets via material. And as soon as we had a motive for them to exist, the farming, the tulips grew to become Munchkinland.”
Architecturally, Crowley wished to make use of completely different types of thatch with large chimneys and colourful and intricately dyed tulip carvings. “I needed to separate the buildings. In any other case, while you {photograph} it, it will simply mix collectively,” he added.
Shiz College, situated within the Metropolis of Gillikin, is Ouncess prestigious establishment recognized for its research of magic and science, the place Elphaba and Galinda meet and grow to be unlikely associates. It comprises an beautiful architectural tapestry of American, Moorish, and Venetian influences with arches, domes, and a water passage within the courtyard entrance (courtesy of a giant tank). Transportation by river was deemed probably the most acceptable for the unique setting, which is a far cry from Hogwarts.
“Now we have a contact of Americana, which, for me, is Chicago and the grand arches ,” stated Crowley. “It’s [Louis] Sullivan, [Daniel] Burnham, and [John Wellborn] Root. Nice architects on the earlier flip of the century. These shapes gave me motive for the interiors; the onion dome grew to become the dorm room, the arches grew to become the library. I wished to construct this vernacular that allowed me to differ the interiors.”
Talking of the library set, Crowley got here up with the ingenious idea of mechanically spinning bookshelves for the disruptive “Dancing By means of Life” musical quantity. It’s an homage to “Royal Marriage ceremony,” the landmark 1951 musical the place Fred Astaire dances on the ceiling. They constructed that Shiz College set first, regardless that they shot it in the midst of the schedule, to permit everybody (together with the parkour dancers) sufficient time to coach on it.
“You’ve bought to maneuver, it’s dance, why doesn’t the set transfer?” Crowley recalled. “I got here up with the thought of spinning wheels, went to particular results supervisor, Paul Corbould, who I’ve labored with many occasions, and requested if we may do that as three impartial spinning wheels.
“So I constructed the entire library across the results, the engineering of the wheels, so that they had been the constructing block of your entire set,” he continued. “They usually had Paul put all of them on wheels, so he may roll them like these big rings, and he may make all of them impartial, go in several methods. After which the ladders had been impartial of that. However there are, in between every wheel, a non-moving wheel the place, for those who bought in bother, you simply leap in that. However, actually, it’s nearly rehearsals and the precise individuals who go in it.”
In the meantime, when Elphaba and Glinda journey to the Emerald Metropolis to fulfill The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), they take the Emerald Metropolis Categorical, a mechanical automaton designed by Crowley and constructed virtually by Corbould’s workforce. This glossy inexperienced practice is 16 ft excessive and 106 ft lengthy and runs on a 1,000-foot monitor.
“The historical past of French illusionists is the automatons, and I like that The Wizard is an illusionist,” Crowley stated. “When you discover a approach into the design, then I simply wanted to romanticize it for Elphaba and Glinda as a result of it’s their dream practice. It’s a really masculine object, as a result of it’s The Wizard’s, however you’ve bought to feminize it indirectly.”
When Crowley lastly targeted his consideration on designing the Emerald Metropolis, he was ready to make it the embodiment of Oz: a towering, majestic, emerald jewel, filled with delusion and whimsy. The fantastical metropolis, spanning 45 ft excessive, necessitated a melding of studio backlot with CG enhancement. Crowley was once more impressed by the modernist architects showcased on the Chicago World’s Truthful of 1893 to convey the total grandeur of the Emerald Metropolis with its geometric heft and decorative texturing.
“There’s a element stage in there that belongs to the intricate tile design of Sullivan,” he stated. “And I wished to verify each floor was ornamental, however I wished to not overdo it, so I wanted to do a repeating set of tiles: arch tiles, bigger arch tiles, wall tiles. After which we framed all of it with archways, actually pushing the backlot. Cinematically, you employ an arch to push the background away, so it feels larger than it’s. And also you construct an odd angle so you may make the attitude work.”
The primary part boasts a busy market with road distributors and trend shops; a grand archway results in Wizamania, a stage spectacle with an impressive fountain unfolding like an enormous flower. Right here they chronicle the historical past of The Wizard by way of the dance quantity “One Brief Day.” This results in The Wizard’s Palace, through which big columns convey pressured perspective. There’s the huge Nice Corridor and cathedral-like Throne Room, the place The Wizard hides behind the scenes with a particular shock.
“The Nice Corridor is about silence and monkeys and intimidation,” stated Crowley. “You open these doorways and also you’re offered with this string curtain of each coloration of inexperienced. After which, via that, the mechanical head pokes via.”
The big wood head (additionally designed by Crowley and constructed by Corbould’s workforce) stands 16 ft excessive, elevated one other 12 ft off the bottom, and performs via cascading curtains. “It was crucial that the curtain wasn’t theatrical,” Crowley added. “It was extra an artwork set up. Particular results did it brilliantly as a result of they might push and pull it out with hydraulics after which animate the face. It strikes and has expressions. To do it virtually, we will actually intimidate the actors once they see the curtain and react to the mechanical head.”
For Crowley, who could have extra world-building on show in “Depraved: Half 2” (November 21, 2025), the undertaking has been a turning level in his profession: “Doing all the opposite worlds with Chris [Nolan] has been great, however I undoubtedly must discover one other aspect of design, and this did it for me.”
“Depraved” is now in theaters.