Wicked director Jon M. Chu spared no expense in the budget for the Universal Pictures film which utilizes practical effects instead of CGI. The iconic yellow brick road for instance consists of real bricks. This is simply one of the many ways the Wicked crew brought the fantastical world to life. And yes — this even includes the breathtaking scenes of Munchkinland with over nine million real tulips.
Production designer Nathan Crowley recently spoke with Variety about the making of practical sets and how it was important to Chu to stay true to his vision of adapting the hit Broadway musical. While he was met with pushback about the grand tulip idea at first, Crowley admits he wanted to honor Chu’s wish. “I said to Adam [Richards], my location manager and said, ‘We’re going to grow tulips, and we have to learn about tulip farming.’”
So that’s exactly what they did. Crowley and Richards traveled all the way to Norfolk, England where they found a farmer willing to bring the idea to life and grow the incredible tulips. The nine million tulips reportedly lay about 12 football fields deep. “I knew it could work because I grew 500 acres of corn on Interstellar,” Crowley says. “I knew I could…with the right farmer.”
The very popular Norfolk Tulips is now closed for their 2024 season. For those wishing to get a glimpse at the tulips from the film, ticket information for the 2025 season will be released next April.
[RELATED: Wicked: Why the Iconic Ruby Slippers Aren’t Red, Explained]
Releasing over the weekend, Wicked has already shattered multiple records at the box office, becoming the biggest global and domestic opening for an adaption of a Broadway musical. ComicBook’s own Spencer Perry rates Wicked four out of five stars, calling it “one of the most entertaining blockbusters of the year.”
Wicked follows Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), a young woman misunderstood for her green skin, and Glinda (Ariana Grande) a student with an unflinching desire for popularity who forge an unlikely friendship. “Following an encounter with the Wizard of Oz, their relationship soon reaches a crossroads as their lives begin to take very different paths.”
It’s not the last time we’ll see Chu’s colorful vision take the big screen. In 2025, Wicked: Part II will be released. Because of Chu’s faithfulness to the world of Wicked, he knew what he wanted to execute couldn’t be done in one film. Chu said in a statement, “With more space, we can tell the story of Wicked as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys for these beloved characters.”
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