Blog - News

March 6, 2025

By Chloe Roden

Since its release on November 22^nd last year, Wicked hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. Today, its total global box office sits at £575 million, making it the highest-grossing musical film adaptation of all time. Plus, with 7 BAFTA, 5 Screen Actors Guild Award and 10 Academy Award nominations, the talented people behind the production design, costume and performances of Wicked are gaining recognition far and wide.

But how did director John M. Chu set Wicked up to be the cultural and box office phenomenon that it is? As the first on-screen adaptation of one of Broadway’s biggest musicals, the film would need some exceptional locations, studios and behind-the-camera expertise – all of which John M. Chu found in the English regions.

Production for Wicked started in January 2022. 3,000 crew roles, 9 million tulips and a lot of green paint later… Oz came to life in England.

Read on to discover where Wicked filmed:

Sky Studios Elstree, Hertfordshire:

Wicked was the first production to film at Sky Studios Elstree in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. A state-of-the-art film and TV studio, Sky Studios Elstree offers 14 brand-new stages to ambitious productions like Wicked.

As a leading practitioner of sustainability in film and TV, the campus at Sky Studios Elstree is fully powered by solar and renewable energy and no single-use plastic – in fact, the Filming in England team were lucky enough to host an Industry Mixer event in Stage 4 there in June last year (see pictures here)!

The studio was the primary base for Wicked, where huge mythical sets were constructed – including the capital of Oz, the Emerald City.

Learn more about Sky Studios Elstree here.

  

Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden

More phenomenal set builds were constructed just around the corner at Warner Bros. Leavesden in Watford. Having been home to Harry Potter for over a decade, the team at Warner Bros. Leavesden are no strangers to large, whimsical set builds.

We spoke to the team at Warner Bros Leavesden Studios about their work on Wicked:

“We were thrilled to have Wicked partially filmed at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, they were a pleasure to host. The vibrant colours and the sheer scale of the sets were impossible to miss. They were breath-taking!”

The iconic studio complex has welcomed some of England’s biggest productions of recent years, including Blitz, The Franchise, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and House of the Dragon. Learn more about Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden here.

Buckinghamshire

In April 2023, the sets for Munchkinland, Shiz University andan unmistakable yellow brick road popped up in the heart of the English countryside on a large backlot near Ivinghoe in East Buckinghamshire.

The team at Buckinghamshire Film Office were delighted to have their county play such a big role in Wicked – and we caught up the team there to hear their thoughts:

“Buckinghamshire became the epicentre of movie magic when Wicked descended upon our tranquil countryside. We were amazed by the scale, artistry and dedication that went into making the world of Oz, seeing such epic set builds in our county, showcasing the creative talent we have in the UK. Although “Something bad is happening in Oz”, for Buckinghamshire something truly wonderful has happened, creating sense of pride among our residents.

Truly, the magic of Oz will live on in Buckinghamshire – for good.”

 

Norfolk

An unexpected star of Wicked is Belmont Nurseries, a 20-acre spread of 9 million tulips near Kings Lynn in Norfolk. Amazingly, the tulips were planted specifically for Wicked, with field’s owner even starring in the film as a Munchkin.

Described by production director Nathan Crowley as ‘a vibrant tapestry woven from sunshine and tulips’, the Norfolk tulips sweep viewers into Oz for Wicked’s opening number – with director Jon M. Chu himself commenting “I couldn’t think of a better place to build the magical land of Oz than Norfolk County.’

We spoke to Norfolk Screen – who facilitate filming across the county – about their involvement in Wicked:

“What a thrill it was to see Wicked film in Norfolk, utilizing over 9 million tulips to help create the backdrop of Munchkinland. The colours, contrast and vibrancy provided by Norfolk Tulips in Terrington St Clement was stunning.  Norfolk Screen played a small role in supporting the production through helping to recommend Location Marshalls whilst shooting in the region.

We really loved having the team here and the region adored hosting such a fabulous production”.

Sussex

You may recognise the river which takes Elphaba and Nessa to Shiz University as the meandering Cuckmere River, located near Seven Sisters in East Sussex.

Congratulations to the entire Location Department on Wicked, led by Supervising Location Manager Adam Richards!

Sky Studios Elstree, Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, Buckinghamshire Film Office and Norfolk Screen are all members of the Filming in England Partnership. Are you interested in joining our film-friendly network? Joining is completely free, find out more here. 

See more behind-the-scenes insights into Wicked’s production here, or hear insights from Wicked’s Production Director Nathan Crowley’s journey here.