We all may have come familiar with the story of The Nutcracker as a child, but upon knowing that Disney will create an adaptation, we know Disney does not like playing by the rules of simply recreating a story. The story of The Nutcracker has evolved through time and this year, Disney’s live adaptation of the childhood classic story showed a whole new take, making it an original of its own.
Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms showed the great adventure of Clara Stahlbaum and her journey in understanding the purpose of the gift that her late mother has given her for Christmas. At first, Clara was just being herself, creating scientific experiments with her younger brother Fritz in the attic. The next thing she knows, she’s already in a magical and parallel world of the Four Realms that her mom and godfather Drosselmeyer has made decades ago.
Disney’s The Nutcracker Showcases Stunning Artistry in its Set Design, Costumes, Hair, and Makeup
Set during Christmas, the holiday backdrop of the film gives its audience the light and joyous vibe — all the gifts, the lights, music, festivities, and snow. The setting feeds the imagination of a child’s fantasy of Christmas.
The Stahlbaum family lives within the Victorian Era, as portrayed in their grandiose gowns, hair, and makeup. Jenny Beavan curated all the costumes of the cast, just as she created the costumes for Christopher Robin and Mad Max: Fury Road. Makeup and hair design is by Jenny Shircore who also styled Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.
Upon entering the parallel world with the four realms, Clara saw the vast difference between them. The Land of Snowflakes are all ice castles, glaciers, and alpine villages that show a cool blue palette. In opposite of the cold Land of Snowflakes, the Land of Flowers are colorful and exploding from life that is all vibrant in color. Meanwhile, the Land of Sweets is filled with pink and purple puffs as seen on Sugar Plum Fairy, its regent.
Lastly, Clara saw how dark and ominous the Land of Amusements is. As led by its regent Mother Ginger, the fourth realm was once a place for wisdom and entertainment. After being driven away from the palace, the fourth realm is now a place of spookiness and home of the rats that acts as the army of Mother Ginger.
Guy Hendrix Dyas served as the genius behind the expansive production design of the film. The entire film had a total budget of $132.9 million. Anyone who has a penchant for detail would love the film as the creators and designers really took time in curating the look of the film. And because it’s a Disney film, all members of the family will surely enjoy the adventure of Clara in the parallel world.
Disney’s The Nutcracker and The Four Realms are in theaters starting today, October 31 in cinemas nationwide.
