Summary

• The Wicked movie wisely avoids relying heavily on CGI, opting for practical set designs to enhance the storytelling experience.
• By using physical sets instead of CGI, the movie captures the vibrant and relatable qualities of the original stage production.
• Building a tangible world for Wicked enhances the performances of the actors.

The long-awaited movie adaptation of the musical Wicked movie has big ruby slippers to fill, especially in of doing the unique staging and set design of the musical justice.

The Wicked characters exist inside a fantasy world that blends between the original The Wizard of Oz aesthetic with emerald-soaked steampunk, and this vibrant visual style is something the Wicked movie must capture in order to succeed. To create this wondrous landscape, the Wicked movie could have easily chosen to go down the CGI route to explore its fantasy components. Almost the entire Wicked movie could have feasibly been filmed in front of a green wall, but I'm very glad that isn't the case.

The Wicked Movie Is Relying Heavily On Practical Sets

Wicked Did Not Opt For The CGI Route

Behind-the-scenes footage of Wicked reveals how stunning the film will be. It is clear that the Wicked movie is mainly using grand, practical, physically built set designs to tell its story instead of CGI. Massive constructions were assembled, from giant forests and tulip fields to movable trains and the Emerald City. I am a big fan of the Wicked stage production and particularly how, despite its fantasy elements, the musical still feels relatable. Using practical, tangible sets instead of CGI wherever possible helps to re-create this relatable feel onscreen and makes for an even more faithful Wicked adaptation.

What I find so incredible about the Wicked movie already is that all the locations are completely recognizable. The whole set looks like it exists in the real world somewhere, and that fidelity can only improve the actors' performances. The likes of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande would have been walking the actual streets of the Emerald City and the land of Oz - or as close as anyone can get - rather than performing on an empty sound stage draped in green cloth.

As advanced and seamless as modern CGI may be, the depth of a practical set can still be felt onscreen. For a movie like Wicked that relies so heavily on world-building, I'm relieved Jon M. Chu is making full use of genuine sets.

Why A CGI-Heavy Wicked Movie Wouldn't Work

The Wicked Movie Looks Similar To The Stage Show So Far

I'm not against movies using CGI, of course, but I do think CGI can easily become jarring when overused. Due to the constant changes and improvements in CGI, digital effects can also age a film far more quickly than practical effects do. The practical dinosaurs in Jurassic Park still look phenomenal, for example, despite the movie releasing in 1993.

Because the Wicked musical's world is brought oto life by physical sets and props, digitizing Oz for the movie would arguably have represented a step-down. Instead, the Wicked movie is continuing the practical ethos of its predecoessor but with bigger, more elaborate versions to suit the movie's increased scale. Rather than a potential CGI downgrade, therefore, the Wicked movie is improving upon the musical by elevating, not digitally imitating, the visuals. I am certain some CGI will still be used - the flying monkeys, for example - but using it sparingly and only where necessary will make all the difference.

The Wicked set grew nine million tulips and built a 16-ton train to use in the film.

The Wicked practical sets elevate my excitement for the film greatly. I want the film to stay true to the stage show, and computer-generating Oz would have been a huge red flag in of limiting how earthy the movie adaptation could be. Thankfully, the Wicked movie's creative team appears to have reached the same conclusion, and is committed to making Oz feel as real as possible.