Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comes out later this month on the 26th, and early comparisons of the film liken it to other space westerns such as Guardians of the Galaxy. Milly Alcock, the actress responsible for bringing this version of Kara Zor-El to life, so far has come across as a female version of Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord from the attitude all the way down to the space iPod.
One of the main differences fans will notice about Supergirl is that, unlike Marvel films that rely heavily on CGI and computer generated settings for the majority of their environments, the DC Superman follow up is going to rely heavily on practical set pieces and large scale environments that were all made by hand. Of course the film will include its fair share of CGI, but from what Collider has reported about their recent visit to the set, fans of practical sets and making films the old fashioned way will greatly appreciate what director Craig Gillespie and DC head James Gunn have cooked up.
Collider.com did a piece earlier today on what we can expect from the film coming out in just a few weeks as they recently visited the set, but even though production was basically done everything from the months before was still intact and boasted its practical film-making strategy. Neil Lamont and and Wicked‘s Lee Sandales oversaw the visual direction and set decoration. Unlike movies where the majority of the back drop is actually just superimposed on a big blue or green screen, Supergirl‘s sets were all physical and practical and formed a “vast network of fully realized environments”. Using practical sets should ultimately give the film depth and allow for its inhabitants to act much more naturally then if they were to use computers to create everything around them.
Supergirl is generally considered to be a “space western”, and explores different plants throughout the universe that all need their own visual identity (think the different planet’s sets and environments from movie franchises such as the original Star Wars trilogy). Flashbacks include recognizable locations from DC lore such as Krypton, and by the sounds of Collider’s story has the overall vibe of something like Marvel’s Asgard or Amazon’s Eternia from Masters of the Universe. However, both of those locations were nothing more than heavy CGI that made it feel like we were almost watching a video game. For those films it worked, but for something like Supergirl where Gillespie and Gunn clearly wanted to root the lore in more practicality, an old fashioned set will help give the environments from different fantastical planets a much more “down to Earth” vibe.
According to Collider, “Krypton draws heavily from classical architecture, inspired by the Roman Empire and ancient Greece. Towering columns, expansive walkways, vast lakes, blossoming trees, and pristine public spaces create a sophisticated world — albeit one living on borrowed time. The costumes of Zor-El (David Krumholtz) and Alura In-Ze (Emily Beecham) were inspired by the cream-colored architecture and designed to feel like a uniform consistent across Kryptonian society.” The article also talks about the practical costumes used in the film, which seems to be going backwards from the CGI-rooted impractical costumes of Zack Snyder’s DCEU. If films such as 2011’s Green Lantern and 2013’s Man of Steel were the pinnacle of film costumes for the time, we’ve actually regressed in a sense since then using more of a minimalist design and practical costuming that looks much more natural than the over-the-top offerings from the superhero movies of the 2010’s and early 2020’s. In my opinion, this takes some of the focus off of something that should be simple and allows the filmmakers to focus on other, more important aspects of their vision. If you saw Henry Cavill’s Superman from Man of Steel and compared it to David Corenswet’s costume from last years reboot, you’ll notice the simplicity of the new age designs which allow for more focus on (in my opinion) more important aspects of the film such as clear production and a strong, consistent story.
The practical set pieces were also distressed over the span of production as throughout the film we clearly see the demise of Krypton, including both the before and after of the planet using practical set changes. Collider describes some of the more intimate set pieces as well: “Production had also built more personal sets on Krypton including Kara’s family apartment, complete with enormous glass windows inspired by a power station on the English south coast where Scott grew up. As well as Zor-El’s laboratory and the escape pod Kara uses to leave, mirroring Kal-El’s own journey to Earth.” Even the set pieces of her ships interior are much more similar to the room of a teenage girl than that of a CGI created futuristic spaceship, adding more to the relatability of the overall production.
Having just watched Masters of the Universe last night and being a fan of Marvel’s space themed films, I for one am not against CGI sets, but I do appreciate the creativity and details that go into practical sets. Having been a big fan of the DC CW shows back in the day, practical sets are something that allow for even the most minute details to be changed to the whim of the producers. Physical sets allow for much more fun, small, “blink and you’ll miss it” style details that shows like The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow boasted. I for one think that this is a large, much needed change that will help differentiate this version of the DCU from the heavy CGI-influenced films of the 2010’s. I’m not saying CGI isn’t necessary or a welcome addition to these type of films, but I’d much rather feel like I was watching a film rather than a cut scene from a video game. Something about full CGI sets can take you out of the story, but paying attention to all the smallest details in each frame of the film is something I always look forward to as a superhero movie fan. And while Supergirl clocks in at under two hours, I am okay with that is the two hours is densely packed with details to look at in every scene and on every set.
Are you looking forward to Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow? Tickets are on sale now for the premier on the 26th, and I for one already have mine. Are you excited for the practical sets, or are you more a fan of CGI created sets and scenes? let us know your thoughts down in the comments or on our Instagram, and make sure to check out the full story over at Collider!
Source: Collider.com
