“The studio got a great deal!” says production designer Nathan Crowley.

Call it Tulipmania—9 million tulips, to be exact. That's how many real bulbs were planted for the stunning opening scenes of Wicked, the much-anticipated film adaptation hitted theaters on November 22. Directed by Jon M. Chu of Crazy Rich Asians fame, the movie spares no expense in bringing the world of Oz to life.

From a yellow brick road made of real bricks to a 106-foot-long functioning locomotive, even the Emerald City is inspired by the neoclassical design of Chicago's 1893 World's Fair.

However, one of the most captivating features of the film may be the fields of tulips leading up to Munchkinland, filmed in Norfolk, England. Production designer Nathan Crowley recalls, “Jon said, ‘I' need color—I'want a rainbow.'” His solution? “Let's find a tulip farmer.”

Crowley's idea was grounded in experience—he had grown 500 acres of corn for the film Interstellar. In Wicked, tulips aren't just for visual appeal; they also serve as natural dyes for the Munchkins' silk and velvet garments. As Crowley puts it, “They are artist-alchemists, coaxing the rainbow from their blooms.” Despite some uncertainty, Crowley was confident the right farmer would make it work.

A Unique Collaboration

Wicked's location manager, Adam Richards, connected the production team with Mark Eves, a Norfolk-based flower farmer. Eves's farm had gained attention after a viral video showcased its vibrant tulip fields. Crowley remembers telling Mark, “I' need tulips as far as the eye can see.” Eves responded with the solution: “I'll have to ship the bulbs from the Netherlands and plant them before it freezes.” He was clearly up for the challenge.

As the project evolved, Crowley realized just how massive it would be. “I' thought we needed one million tulips,” he admits. “But Mark actually said nine million. So when the bulbs arrived, we realized the studio got a great deal!”

A Celebration of Color

The tulips were planted across 25 acres at Belmont Tulips, in striking stripes of vivid colors—inky violets, fiery oranges, and sunny yellows. Crowley describes the scene as “a celebration of color.” The result? A breathtaking landscape that plays a key role in the movie's opening shots.

Why go through the trouble when CGI' could've done the job? Crowley explains, “For me', cinema is about being transported into a new world. If there's too much CGI' and not enough real-world craftsmanship, it's hard to immerse yourself in the film. Here, the actors are actually running through flower fields, and you see the tulips swaying in the wind. It feels authentic.”

A Sustainable Finale

And in a sustainable twist, those nine million tulips weren't wasted. The flowers' heads were harvested and repurposed as living roofs for the Munchkins' houses, and the bulbs were replanted by Norfolk Tulips. This spring, the fields will bloom again, open to the public for all to enjoy. As Crowley notes, “They all just bloomed again.”