Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1061165
Disney's The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, directed by Lasse Hallström and later Joe Johnston, was a real dream job for any design team. The original Hoffman story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King from 1816, was a surreal German fairy tale that went on to heavily inspire other classics; Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and The Chronicles of Narnia book series by C.S. Lewis to name just a few. The story went through several reincarnations until Tchaikovsky's famous ballet adaptation was first performed at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg in 1892, introducing the world to an enduring ensemble of characters and a gorgeous musical score that have remained popular ever since. A. CONCEPT PAINTING SHOWING THE ENTIRE WORLD. THIS IMAGE BECAME VITAL IN EXPLAINING HOW EVERYTHING LOOKED WHEN SHOWN IN COLOR. IT BECAME A LASTING VISUAL TOOL THROUGHOUT THE PRODUCTION. AS IS OFTEN THE CASE, LARGE PARTS OF THE SCRIPT WERE ADJUSTED TO MATCH THE DESIGN AND MAKE MORE GEOGRAPHICAL SENSE. DIGITAL PAINTING BY SHAE SHATZ. B. ONE OF THE FIRST SKETCHES FOR THE PROJECT. THIS ILLUSTRATED THE CONCEPT FOR A CENTRAL PALACE AND HAVING EACH REALM LAID OUT AT POINTS ON A COMPASS. IT ALSO INTRODUCED THE IDEA OF HOW THE PALACE COULD BE POWERED BY WATER, USING GIANT SCALE WATER WHEELS TO POWER STEAM ENGINES HOUSED IN THE PALACE'S ENORMOUS BASEMENT. SKETCH BY GUY H. DYAS. B