Wicked: Part One recently hit the screens. It revolves around a green-skinned woman who forms an unusual bond with a student hungry for fame. While the film is doing well at the box office, fans are growing eager about its breathtaking locations. So, where did they film Wicked, and what makes its filming locations so interesting?
Here is everything you need to know about the shooting locations of the fantasy adventure drama.
Where was Wicked: Part One filmed?
The production primarily filmed Wicked: Part One in the United Kingdom, with Sky Studios Elstree, just outside of London, serving as the main filming hub. The film also used several other locations, including Elstree Studios, Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, the village of Ivinghoe, Norfolk, and East Sussex (via Time Out).
Sky Studios Elstree served as the primary location for the film, with 12 soundstages providing the necessary space. However, the scale of the project required additional stages. Some scenes were also shot at Elstree Studios and Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden. In total, the film utilized 17 soundstages and four major backlots to recreate the world of Oz.
The production team built the Munchkinland village set in the town of Ivinghoe, just outside Luton. They designed colorful cottages and the iconic Yellow Brick Road, creating truly stunning visuals. To enhance Munchkinland’s appearance, they planted nine million tulips in Norfolk. This blend of natural beauty and man-made sets brought the village to life.
One of the film’s most memorable moments features the arrogant Glinda arriving at Shiz University. She sails into the waterway on a pink sailboat. The filmmakers shot this scene at Seven Sisters Country Park in East Sussex’s South Downs National Park. The dramatic cliffs of the South Downs added grandeur to the Land of Oz.
Director Jon M. Chu and production designer Nathan Crowley (known for Interstellar) emphasized practical sets, with many as tall as 50 feet and covering entire soundstage footprints. These massive sets, which allowed for 360-degree filming, reduced the need for blue-screen work and gave the film an authentic and visually stunning look.
Wicked: Part One is currently in theaters.
