Mr. Fox's Fantastic Sets We step behind the curtain at Three Mills Studios to find out how Wes Anderson's handmade vision came to life
For everyone who whiled away childhood evenings lost in Roald Dahl's quirky-yet-recognisable worlds of everlasting gobstoppers, warty witches, giant peaches and light-fingered foxes, Fantastic Mr. Fox is cinema at its most nostalgic. Except, of course, that this is Mr. Fox as we've never seen him: a wiseacre, impulsive stop-motion critter, lovingly crafted by Wes Anderson and his team of animators. We stepped behind the curtain at Three Mills Studios to find out how Wes Anderson's handmade vision came to life (clue: it's not as effortless as it looks). WORDS PHIL DE SEMYLEN
Mr. Fox's Fantastic Sets Writing Hut
Roald Dahl's widow Felicity was an early convert to Wes Anderson's stop-motion vision for the book, becoming a regular visitor to Three Mills. "She wanted to meet the people who were going to bring this story to life," says producer Allison Abbate. "She sent us a Harrods hamper and doughnuts from Krispy Kreme on the first day of shooting." Pictured above is one set particularly close to her heart, in which Mr. Fox (George Clooney) and his possum sidekick Kylie planning their next raid. "We took photos of Roald's old writing hut and literally recreated it, even down to the notes on the wall," Abbate tells us. "It was very emotional for her to see it all in miniature." Anderson worked on the script at Dahl's house in Great Missenden and spent time roaming the surrounding countryside to fill the movie with local flora and fauna. Mind you, if you live in the area and have seen a possum, it might be worth contacting The Really Wild Show.
