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Currently pursuing a film career with a passion for film journalism, storytelling of any kind has allowed me to let my imagination run wild in ways even I couldn’t predict. Expect me to write about film, TV, and the entertainment industry.
For Day Two of WonderCon 2024, we bring anecdotes from the creatives behind projects like The Iron Claw, Abigail, The Fall Guy, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Chucky season 3, and more.
All in the Details: Costume, Makeup, and Hair Design for Film and TV
Moderated by Chris Villain (Freakshow), production designer Brandon Mendez (Flamin’ Hot), makeup department head Elle Favorule (The Iron Claw), costume designer Emilio Sosa (Descendants: The Rise of Red), key hairstylist Joyce Gillard (Genius: MLK/X), and supervising art director Natasha Gerasimova (Loki Season 1) opened up about the creative process behind their work and the decisions that are made during pre-production.
Mendez, Favorule, and Gillard agreed that research was the most crucial step in their latest work, as they were all biopics. Favorule shared stories working in The Iron Claw, particularly helping create the wrestling matches in the movie. She discussed the complicated techniques they had to do for sweat to look realistic on camera while ensuring the products they used didn’t mess up the tattoo covers some actors had to use, and then combining it with the blood as the matches got more intense.
Mendez jokingly revealed that for the sets depicting the chips factory, he had to rely on videos from somebody his team discovered on the internet, who had filmed inside an old FritoLay factory in the ’90s since the company wasn’t willing to give the crew the necessary information to build accurate sets. As for Gillard and Sosa, both discussed the factors each actor brings to the table. For Gillard’s work in Genius: MLK/X, she had to work with modern hairstyles that didn’t fit the show’s period, so drastic changes had to be made. In contrast, Sosa touched on how he lets his actors partake in the decision-making of each costume to add character to the pieces worn on camera.
Gerasimova described her production work in Marvel projects such as Ms. Marvel. Here, she went on a detailed explanation of how important it is to have some kind of physical set for the actors to interact with. She recalls the cast’s reaction to a courtyard the crew had built, and how it instantly made certain actors feel like they were back home in Pakistan. The panel and crowd had a good laugh when Gerasimova was asked if any Easter Eggs were hiding in the background, which she confirmed there were without saying what they were.
Collider: Directors on Directors
Filmmakers in attendance for this WonderCon panel include David Leitch, Wes Ball, and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett. They got to answer questions sent in by composer Bear McCreary (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow, cinematographer Greig Fraser (Dune), writer Damon Lindelof (HBO’s Watchmen), and actor Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick, Anyone But You). Some of these questions consisted of the kind of conversations these filmmakers have with their composers and directors of photography regarding score and visual style, respectively, what their proudest moment as a director was, dealing with online criticisms, and where the theatrical experience is headed.
For the latter question, all panelists agreed the only way to keep moviegoers going to the theater is by creating and supporting original films or franchises that keep reinventing themselves. Leitch also joked the only way to get audiences to show up is by having Powell in your film. In terms of the collaborative process, Bettinelli-Olpin & Gillett (aka Radio Silence) mention how vital it is to have other people voice their opinions regarding any given project since sometimes the best ideas come from crew members. They note that the singular vision of a director isn’t all, and both take time to highlight child actor Alisha Weird and DP Aaron Morton, as their skills influenced Abigail to evolve and depart from the script for the best.
Towards the end of the panel, the group of directors shared clips from their upcoming blockbusters. The clip from Abigail was probably the most impressive, showcasing a lot of style through musical cues accompanying the titular monster dancing with a corpse. Leitch’s The Fall Guy showed an extensive look at the sequence where Ryan Gosling is holding onto the side of a moving truck. That shot has been ripped to shreds online since the first trailer. I will say, though, that seeing the sequence in context looks fun. It still doesn’t fully seem realistic, but that is not what the tone of the movie is going for. Finally, Ball’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes delivered a great sense of epic scale in its clip, as our two protagonists are taken as prisoners in a shipwreck.
Chucky Season 3 Part 2: Exclusive WonderCon Sneak Peek and Cast Conversation
Fans got the chance to watch the first five minutes or so of Chucky‘s third mid-season premiere, “Death Becomes Her.” One of the very first things discussed at the Chucky Season 3 panel after the clip was the news of a possible movie being in development. Franchise creator Don Mancini confirmed early stages in development; and he hopes to have cast members from the television series and past movies crossing over. He closed this conversation by alluding to the idea that we could have both films and the series running simultaneously at some point.
Jennifer Tilly and her electrifying charisma dominated most of the panel, getting the biggest laughs from the crowd. In one of many hilarious moments, she explained how Mancini is challenging her as a performer this season by giving Tiffany more depth, which she isn’t fond of because she loved the simplicity of previous seasons and spending her free time eating donuts. She and Devon Sawa then teased the audience with a hyper-bloody sequence in Chucky Season 3 Part 2, reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining that –- according to Tilly –- should break records for most blood shown on TV.
When it came to the younger cast members, Bjorgvin Arnarson discussed the evolution of Devon Evans across the three seasons and his relationship with Zackary Arthur’s Jake Wheeler. Arnarson mentioned how his character has grown to be more serious, while also retaining the awkward, geeky sensitivities from Season 1. He and Arthur comment on how their real-life friendship has certainly helped develop their characters’ dynamic on screen.
Alyvia Alyn Lind got to discuss the complexities of Lexy Cross and how fun it’s been to turn the show’s bully into a kind of heroine across seasons. As the newcomer to the franchise, Jackson Kelly dived into what it was like to talk to the cast and get advice on how to add humanity and vulnerability to Grant Collins amidst all the baffling things the show puts the actors through. Eventually, the topic switched to Chucky himself and the cast’s proudest moments, which Lind immediately jumped to answer with her favorite scene to shoot being getting to kill Chucky with a chainsaw in Season 2.
Currently pursuing a film career with a passion for film journalism, storytelling of any kind has allowed me to let my imagination run wild in ways even I couldn’t predict. Expect me to write about film, TV, and the entertainment industry.
This article was edited by John Tangalin.