Universal's WICKED Films - News & Discussion Thread- Page 55

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 9:13am

And for the record, I loved the teaser trailer and have watched it more than a handful of times. Thrilled they chose to include a montage of footage. Here’s hoping the actual films hold up to what the teaser has given us as a glimpse and kudos to that final “Defying Gravity” yodel and not emulating the traditional Idina Menzel yodel. 

[Owen22]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 9:21am

Cynthia elected to create her own war-cry at the end of Defying Gravity, not do an exact copy of Idina's. Which I applaud. We are just SOOOOO used to Idina's (and every Elphie after her) ending that this sounded weird to us. If we had never heard it before, we would have goosebumped over that final bit in the trailer.

[Kad]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 9:32am

Well the discourse over a two-part film we’ve seen approximately 0.5% of is already exhausting and irksome. And we’ve got two more years of it.

[Seb28]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 9:33am

BroadwayNYC2 said: "“Michelle Yeoh's acting is great”


it was 0.5 seconds what are yall even saying at this point."

Let me put it this way, it was the first shot of someone with life behind the eyes.

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 10:08am

I've watched the teaser several times on my 55" inch TV, and I don't understand all the complaints about excessive CGI, since the majority of the footage is clearly on practical sets, with only a few exterior shots (flying monkeys, final shot of Elphaba flying) looking particularly cartoonish. Otherwise, I think the digital effects look nicely applied, such as in the overhead shot of Shiz University, which looks very realistic, and the shot of Glinda and Elphaba in the field, which looks shot on location, with little enhancement.



 

 

[berniesb!tch]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 10:13am

I think for a minute, it looks pretty great. Love the shot of Ariana spinning and the two girls in the poppy fields. I also think Cynthia sounds great on the riff. I'm very excited! 

[sng]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 10:26am

I just hate hate that Defying Gravity riff so much. it doesn't flow

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 10:33am

TaffyDavenport said: "I've watched the teaser several times on my 55" inch TV, and I don't understand all the complaints about excessive CGI, since the majority of the footage is clearly on practical sets, with only a few exterior shots (flying monkeys, final shot of Elphaba flying)looking particularly cartoonish. Otherwise, I thinkthe digital effects look nicelyapplied, such as in the overhead shot of Shiz University, which looks very realistic, and the shot of Glinda and Elphaba in the field, which looks shot on location, with little enhancement.





"

People literally just don't know what they're talking about. I've seen people say they should be more practical to harken back to the original Wizard of Oz and I'm just like... HOW!? Matte paintings? What are these people truly expecting? Also, we're 8 months from release of this movie. The CGI we see here will be going through another layer work before then. CGI in a trailer is ALWAYS unfinished. 

[Rentaholic2]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 12:22pm

I think it looks stunning. I don’t get all the CGI complaints. We’ve already seen evidence that they’ve built substantial practical sets.  Of course they’re going to use CGI to fill out the backgrounds. The Lord of the Rings movies are highly acclaimed, and they use a ton of CGI. Also, go back and watch the original movie - when they first see the Emerald City from afar, it looks like they are literally going to walk straight into a painted backdrop.  Is that somehow better?

I for one and thrilled to see clips of some of the actual musical numbers.  Based on In the Heights, Chu clearly knows how to direct them in a way that uses cinema to enhance what works on stage. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 12:32pm

Rentaholic2 said: "The Lord of the Rings movies are highly acclaimed, and they use a ton of CGI."

 

The brilliance of The Lord of the Rings and original Jurassic Park (and the reason they hold up so well today) is that they only used CGI when they absolutely needed to. The Lord of the Rings uses plenty of CGI out of necessity, but it is beautifully balanced with remarkable hand-built models, sets, costumes, and ingeniously clever camera shots.

 

"Also, go back and watch the original movie - when they first see the Emerald City from afar, it looks like they are literally going to walk straight into a painted backdrop. Is that somehow better?"

 

Yes. The human eyed, trained or not, recognizes what is real and what is false. I will always prefer charming, tangible, hand-made works of art over code in a computer. It's too flat, too smooth, too sterile. You can see many things in the Wizard of Oz that "give away" the effect, like the wire on the Lion's tail or the stunning backdrops you mentioned. It doesn't matter. This film is 85 years old and remains a beloved classic that is still watched every year by millions.

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 12:47pm

I know it's only a teaser. I understand that.

I think the hate for the visuals is silly. This is 2024. What are we gonna do? This is just how these CGI laden movies look now.

I'll get over it. We'll all get over it. And by all accounts it's exactly like we thought it probably would look.

But Ariana DOES look off. The hair is flat, the makeup is really bizarre, and she just looked kinda dead behind the eyes, the way a lot of pop star actors do. (YES I KNOW SHE WAS ON BROADWAY AND ON NICKELODEON) I just can't help but feel like they could've gotten SO many other people for this role. 

Cynthia and Michelle Yeoh will be wonderful. From just that little bit I could see the spirit of the show Elphaba in Cynthia. 

The problems I see is still the two film split, and Ariana Grande.

 

[TBFL]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 12:52pm

Dillamond is played by an unknown actor who has done alot of creature, motion capture and skin work, puppetry and movement.

Interestingly, he also plays Chistery.

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 1:08pm

Close anyone is going to get for non cgi effects is Return to Oz….watch it. It’s stunning 

 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 1:11pm

WldKingdomHM said: "Close anyone is going to get for non cgi effects is Return to Oz….watch it. It’s stunning"

 

Obsessed with that movie!

[Rentaholic2]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 1:49pm

TotallyEffed said: "Rentaholic2 said: "The Lord of the Rings movies are highly acclaimed, and they use a ton of CGI."



The brilliance of The Lord of the Rings and original Jurassic Park (and the reason they hold up so well today) is that they only used CGI when they absolutelyneeded to. The Lord of the Rings uses plenty of CGI out of necessity, but it is beautifully balanced with remarkable hand-built models, sets, costumes, and ingeniouslyclever camera shots.

Right, and we've seen set photos for Wicked showing extremely large-scale, elaborate hand-built sets.  Jon Chu claims they planted 9 million tulips for that shot we saw where people are running through a field of tulips.  From the information we have available so far, it seems they have made quite an effort to use practical sets and only use CGI where necessary.  

 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 2:17pm

There's a lot of hair splitting going on, but I think the bottom line is it looks bad. Whether it's the cinematography & lighting, or the physical production design, or the CG augmentation, or a combination of all, this is not a visually-successful first trailer. The design looks weightless, the contrast is low, there's a shiny artificiality, and to me it looks quite obvious where the physical set ends and the greenscreen begins.

It's a growing problem in Hollywood, not exclusive to WICKED. A production can still build massive sets while also using a ton of greenscreen (FANTASTIC BEASTS and LITTLE MERMAID, for example). And smaller-scale period pieces can still look terrible (GILDED AGE and COLOR PURPLE, for example). Marvel has a big VFX problem, and there are a lot of awful-looking streaming blockbusters.

It becomes especially frustrating when we have had a number of really beautiful-looking blockbusters of late (the recent Hunger Games reboot, Avatar, Dune, Oppenheimer, Top Gun Maverick, Barbie, Indiana Jones, the international sensation Godzilla Minus One, etc).

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 2:26pm

I agree, Ermengarde. Whether the flowers or sets or real, the smoothed out glossy look of the trailer turns me off. The whole thing looks overproduced and over-designed and very artificial. They have a lot of time though, and I hope for the best.

[Kad]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 2:51pm

I do agree that it does look sterile and artificial. Some of the artistic direction feels off to me- that heavily featured train does not seem like it belongs in a depiction of Oz, for instance. Even the costumes look fresh out of the wardrobe shop. They have time to polish and revise things based on feedback, certainly, and I certainly hope the performances will be great. But as a first impression, it doesn’t allay my doubts.  

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 3:34pm

To my knowledge Susan Hilferty doesn't design for film or television, but I can't help but wish they had taken her on to do the costume design for this. The costumes for the Broadway production of Wicked are absolutely iconic at this point and I'm going to miss her incredible use of fabrics and textures. It will be hard to top the Shiz uniforms, Elphaba's second act gown (a bit of a masterpiece in and of itself), or Glinda's stunning gowns (which are basically copies of Dior, to be fair). Wicked as a Broadway show is such a part of the mainstream at this point that comparisons to the stage production are inevitable.

Updated On: 2/12/24 at 03:34 PM

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 3:43pm

WldKingdomHM said: "Close anyone is going to get for non cgi effects is Return to Oz….watch it. It’s stunning

"

Love Return to Oz but come now let’s not be silly

 

that is easily THE drabbest Oz film that’s ever been made.

It works.

but I would never say “Wow Return to Oz. Such a colorful Oz film” lol no.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 4:03pm

It will be hard to top the Shiz uniforms…

[degrassifan]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 4:28pm

TotallyEffed said: "To my knowledge Susan Hilferty doesn't design for film or television,but I can't help but wish they had taken her on to do the costume design for this. The costumes for the Broadway production of Wicked are absolutely iconic at this point and I'm going to miss her incredible use of fabrics and textures. It will behard to top the Shiz uniforms, Elphaba's second act gown (a bit of a masterpiece in and of itself), or Glinda's stunning gowns (which are basically copies of Dior, to be fair). Wickedas a Broadway show is such a part of the mainstream at this point that comparisons to the stage production are inevitable."

Well, it's a good thing you have the show on Broadway, in touring cities, and around the world to see the costumes. This is a movie adaptation. My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, West Side Story (x2), and etc. did not copy the costumes and sets of the stage shows when adapted for screen, and expecting the Wicked movie to look, sound, and feel exactly like the stage show is setting yourself up for disappointment. 

It's about to be a long 2 years of discourse, and we've barely started with a 60 second teaser. 

Updated On: 2/12/24 at 04:28 PM

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 4:33pm

Um, the 1961 film adaptation of WEST SIDE STORY did use the original Broadway costume designs. The Broadway costume designer, the legendary Irene Sharaff, recreated her work for the film. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 4:36pm

degrassifan said: "TotallyEffed said: "To my knowledge Susan Hilferty doesn't design for film or television,but I can't help but wish they had taken her on to do the costume design for this. The costumes for the Broadway production of Wicked are absolutely iconic at this point and I'm going to miss her incredible use of fabrics and textures. It will behard to top the Shiz uniforms, Elphaba's second act gown (a bit of a masterpiece in and of itself), or Glinda's stunning gowns (which are basically copies of Dior, to be fair). Wickedas a Broadway show is such a part of the mainstream at this point that comparisons to the stage production are inevitable."

Well, it's a good thing you have the show on Broadway, in touring cities, and around the world to see the costumes. This is a movie adaptation. My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, West Side Story (x2), and etc. did not copy the costumes and sets of the stage shows when adapted for screen, and expecting the Wicked movie to look, sound, and feel exactly like the stage show is setting yourself up for disappointment. 

It's about to be a long 2 years of discourse, and we've barely started with a 60 second teaser. "

 

Uhh, have you seen West Side Story?

And I didn't say I wanted an exact replica of the Broadway sets and costumes, which are clearly designed for the stage.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 2/12/24 at 4:37pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "Um, the 1961 film adaptation of WEST SIDE STORY did use the original Broadway costume designs. The Broadway costume designer, the legendary Irene Sharaff, recreated her work for the film.

"

 

Thanks, Brody, you beat me to it with images to boot!