How Netflix’s Smash Hit Wednesday Came to Life in Romania
Released in late November, Netflix’s Wednesday became an instant hit, with viewing numbers putting the show firmly above another favourite, The Crown. The show revels in an angsty gothic aesthetic while following the now-teenaged Wednesday Adams as she arrives at Nevermore Academy. The star-studded cast includes Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, Gwendoline Christie, Christina Ricci, and Jenna Ortega as the titular Wednesday.
The shoot was made possible thanks to Icon Films Romania, part of the Compass Rose network. Tim Burton and the team were searching for a very particular location to get the tone and the look right for the series. Shot over a period of seven months, the Icon Films team facilitated production in over seven key locations including Cantacuzino Castle in Bușteni, which became the iconic Nevermore Academy.
Bucharest Film Studios was the main shooting location, picked for the variety of stages, workshops, and its huge backlot area needed to shoot a show of this size. The production was the only resident at the studio allowing creatives full control of the place. The production designer, Mark Scruton, worked solely with an all-Romanian team of art directors, set designers, and construction teams to create the world of Wednesday while costume designer Colleen Atwood enlisted the skills of over 100 local costume makers to make the show’s striking looks.
Romania has been an under-the-radar destination for global filmmakers looking for incredible natural locations, urban settings, mediaeval architecture, and the sophisticated infrastructure to support productions of all sizes. The country has a storied past of filmmaking, dating back to the 19th century. Icon Films is Romania’s leading production company which has worked with directors like Jonathan Glazer, Adam Berg or Dougal Wilson. In 2014, Icon Films partnered with Stillking Films to expand its production services for film and television.
LBB spoke to Icon Film’s Alma Bacula, head of production, and Stillking Films’ David Minkowski, co-executive producer on Wednesday, about what makes Romania the ideal destination for feature and commercial projects alike, the scale of production behind Wednesday, and how the teams facilitated the process.
LBB> Why do you think Romania was chosen as the location for the shoot?
David> The production was originally based in Toronto. The studio was not happy with the high cost and the creative team didn't love the locations, which weren't right for the show. We got a call from Tim Burton's producer and after seeing some location photos of castles and landscapes, everyone was pretty much sold. In a very quick succession of events, we were scouting with Tim Burton and putting the production plan in place.
LBB> Wednesday’s gothic feel is central to the show's look. How many locations in Romania was it filmed on? How did you go about sourcing them?
Alma> Romania is blessed with a variety of gothic and mediaeval architecture that is readily available and film-friendly. Our locations team worked hand in hand with the production designer Mark Scruton to find the right looks without having to travel the unit too far from our Bucharest base. Overall, we had about seven key locations that we kept returning to for each episode. Obviously, some very key locations in the series were actually stage and backlot builds.
LBB> Cantacuzino Castle in Bușteni was the show’s main location, Nevermore Academy. How did you go about securing this location for the shoot? Did you have any other castles in mind?
Alma> The creative team looked at photos of probably half a dozen serious options for Nevermore Academy. In the end, it was down to two choices: Cantacuzino or Peles Castle in Sinaia. On Tim Burtons' first scout trip to Romania, he chose Cantacuzino, which he felt had the right scale and gothic feel. Once the decision was made, Icon's location team quickly negotiated the deal with the castle's management, who were excited to host such a prominent series. They were fully supportive and always worked closely with us to solve any logistics issues, especially with regards to tourism, as it is a very popular destination for both foreign tourists and Romanians alike.
LBB> Part of the show was filmed in Bucharest Film Studios. What makes it such a good location for premium shows like this?
Alma> Bucharest Film Studios was our base - they have a lot of stages, workshops, offices, and a huge backlot area, which was the decisive factor for us. For a large show like Wednesday, it was important we had enough space to fit every department, but to also offer the possibility to grow, if necessary. It was also a luxury to be the only production at the studio the entire time. We had the run of the whole place.
LBB> Wednesday was a huge production. How many local crew and talent worked on it? How easy was it to find the right people for the production?
Alma> Finding the right people wasn't difficult as our local crews are quite familiar with big scale productions, and the opportunity to work alongside Tim Burton made this project even more appealing. We had 600 local crew members, 17 local cast members and over 1000 extras.
LBB> Tell us about the special skills that were required for the job (costumes, set design) and how you sourced them.
Alma> Mark Scruton, the production designer, had never worked in Romania before. But we introduced him to the best Romanian art directors, set designers, and construction teams in the country. He ended up working with an entirely local design team who guided the all-Romanian construction companies to build our amazing sets. We are proud of this fact as typically on a show of this scale, the production designer would bring in his key team. Likewise in costumes, we had well over a hundred local costume makers and dressers bringing Oscar winner Colleen Atwood's designs to life.
LBB> How long did the shoot take? Did you run into any challenges during the production process? How did you overcome them?
Alma> The shoot period was seven months and there were many challenges, with covid being one of the biggest. But we overcame it by applying strict protocols and keeping the health of the cast and the crew a priority at all times.
LBB> What was the most rewarding part of working on this production?
David> From the very first day he arrived in Romania, Tim Burton was appreciative and respectful of everything Romania had to offer to Wednesday. It was an honour to work with him on a daily basis and watch his vision unfold, all in a down to earth and friendly way. This set the tone across every department, as Tim's creative team and the local Romanian crew worked very well together. Once shooting started, this collaborative and friendly atmosphere continued on set. The crew were able to witness Tim work with an amazing cast who delivered what we now see are instant-classic performances.
Icon Films Romania is part of Compass Rose, a group of service production companies consisting of: Stillking Films Prague and Cape Town, Icon Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia, Entity Films Slovenia and Croatia, Spectrum Mexico and 24/7 Spain, Portugal and Chile.
