Buckinghamshire is transformed into the Land of Oz for Wicked film
Buckinghamshire is transformed into the magical Land of Oz for the Hollywood adaptation of hit musical Wicked – starring Ariana Grande
The magical Land of Oz, complete with the yellow brick road, has sprung up in the middle of the Buckinghamshire countryside.
A fantastical town of tiny higgledy-piggledy cottages with colourful thatched roofs has been spotted on farmland in the village of Ivinghoe, near Leighton Buzzard, for new film Wicked.
The story, which is loosely based on on Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz, will see Ariana Grande[2] as Glinda the Good Witch and Cynthia Erivo[3] as Elphaba, the wicked witch of the west.
Filming for the two-part adaptation, produced by Universal Pictures, was well underway on Tuesday, with lots of people spotted on the set.
A vibrant yellow brick road led to the middle of the field, while crane’s and lorry’s could be seen surrounding the set that was still being built.
‘We’re not in Kansas anymore!’: The magical Land of Oz, complete with the yellow brick road, has sprung up in the middle of the Buckinghamshire countryside
New role: The story, which is loosely based on on Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz, will see Ariana Grande as Glinda the Good Witch and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the wicked witch of the west
A planning application to transform the land into the fictional Munchkinland was submitted by Western Sky Limited last year with construction taking place from November.
The majority of the sets were pre-fabricated at Sky Studios Elstree, according to the application.
Filming at the newly erected set was scheduled to start on Thursday, April 6, and run through to August 4 with six night shoots lined-up with 3.30am finishes.
The production company is ‘actively exploring the option of including work experience opportunities on the production for students of media and Film’ at a local school and will also, give ‘educational seminars and workshops on film-making’ to local colleges.
Despite no written objections, some locals were not so enchanted by the set, with some describing it as a ‘blight on the landscape’.
Last week Miss Grande, revealed they were ‘halfway’ through shooting the film and that she was ‘savouring very millisecond left’ with her character.
She said the role was ‘transforming and healing parts of me that I never knew needed it’.
Writing alongside a picture of herself stood under a rainbow, she added: ‘I don’t want it to end. So while I am still here, present, now, I just wanted to….exclaim my tremendous [gratitude]! And allow my heart to overflow.
‘I hope this isn’t all a dream because as present as I am attempting to be, it sure does feel like one.
‘Happy halfway to this most beautiful crew… my heart will be stuck here forever.’
Wicked, based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel of the same name, was first performed on Broadway in 2003 before opening at the Apollo Theatre in London three years later.
Frozen’s Idina Menzel played Elphaba in both debut productions.
Vibrant: A fantastical town of tiny higgledy-piggledy cottages with colourful thatched roofs has been spotted on farmland in the village of Ivinghoe, near Leighton Buzzard, for new film Wicked
Filming: A planning application to transform the land into the fictional Munchkinland was submitted by Western Sky Limited last year with construction taking place from November
Off to see the wizard! A vibrant yellow brick road led to the middle of the field
Despite no written objections, some locals were not so enchanted by the set, with some describing it as a ‘blight on the landscape’
Set: Filming at the newly erected set was scheduled to start on Thursday, April 6, and run through to August 4 with six night shoots lined-up with 3.30am finishes
Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, who co-wrote the music and lyrics to the Broadway show, will adapt the screenplay while Jon M Chu will direct.
Chu, who was behind Crazy Rich Asians, said directing the ‘timeless story’ was akin to being ‘invited to Oz by the Wizard himself’.
Miss Grande posted a selection of behind-the-scenes pictures with Miss Erivo, 36, in October, with the pair seen in ballet shoes – pink for Miss Grande while her co-star wore black and green in a nod to her character.
Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, and Jonathan Bailey of Bridgerton fame will also feature in the upcoming film which will be released in two parts.
On Sunday, Ariana took to her Instagram page and revealed that filming is already ‘halfway’ done alongside a photo of herself standing beneath a perfectly arched rainbow.
‘Savoring every millisecond left with my Glinda (although she’ll be with me irrevocably, forever). she shows me so many new things every day,’ Grande, 29, wrote with obvious excitement behind her words.
‘I am so grateful, I don’t know what to do or say… to be here in Oz where everyday is a life changing one… to be feeling, learning and growing so much at such a disarming speed… to feel so much love around me, to begin each day before the sun is up and to end after it sets…’ she added.
She continued: ‘to hold my brilliant twin flame / sister Cynthia [Erivo]’s beautiful, green hands every day… to work in the safest, most beautiful and loving, biggest-yet-most-intimate/tiny-feeling spaces… to be lead by thee most thoughtful, brilliant, compassionate and warmest possible director on this planet, my other Ozian best friend ever Jon… to be transforming and healing parts of me that i never knew needed it. or maybe did.’
Still over the moon, or the rainbow, about scoring the role of Galinda in Wicked, Grande would then apologize ‘for this most cancerian, rambly post. words don’t suffice but i suppose i just wanted to (attempt to) share a little.’
The singer and actress, who began her music career at age 15 in the 2008 Broadway musical 13, confessed she doesn’t want the experience ‘to end’.
Work: Filming for the two-part adaptation, produced by Universal Pictures, was well underway on Tuesday, with lots of people spotted on the set
Somewhere over the rainbow: For her Wicked update, the pop star, who’s playing Glinda Upland (aka Good Witch Of The South), shared a photo of herself standing beneath a perfectly arched rainbow
‘So while i am still here, present, now, i just wanted to….exclaim my tremendous gratitution ! and allow my heart to overflow. i hope this isn’t all a dream because as present as i am attempting to be, it sure does feel like one,’ she wrote.
The Thank U, Next star ended the post by sharing gratitude for the people she’s been working with since the shoot started on December 9, 2022.
‘happy halfway to this most beautiful crew. my fellow Ozians. my heart will be stuck here forever.
Wicked is scheduled for release on November 27, 2024.
References
- ^ Codie Bullen For Mailonline (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Ariana Grande (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Cynthia Erivo (www.dailymail.co.uk)