Was the set ofWendell & Wildcursed?
It’s hard to say.
But Kat wants something in return that sends them all down a demented, uproarious adventure.
Netflix
The first plague of production was literal.
The COVID-19 pandemic “shut us down for almost a year,” Selick, 69, tells EW.
Then came a more Biblical plague.
Temperatures rose above 100 degrees and more than 60 people died in the area.
“We were the hottest place on earth for about a week,” Selick says.
Then came the fires.
Oregon does have a history of wildfires, but not so much in the production’s area.
Climate change has since caused them to spread.
“The smoke was thick,” Selick remembers.
“The fires were getting close [to the studio].
We said, ‘If we rescue the puppets, we could probably still make the movie.’
But if the puppets burned, it’d be like all your actors burned.”
“Luckily the fires were stopped.
Then we were able to bring back the puppets and put ‘em back to work.”
Selick also mentions ice storms that threatened to knock out their servers during colder months.
“But we had backup generators,” he says.
Then came the protests.
The argument could certainly be made.
Selick’s deal was contingent on producingThe Shadow Kingwith a budget of roughly one-third of a standard Pixar film.
“It was plenty of money,” the director notes.
Lasseter began to change script and production elements that ended up raising costs.
“That’s just not the way he worked back then.”
SoThe Shadow Kingwas shut down.
Selick still has five minutes of finished footage to remember the project.
That’s whenKey & Peelewas on Comedy Central.
“I started watching that and fell in love with those guys,” Selick recalls.
“After three years, I finally approached them.”
Selick confirms, slyly, “It wasn’t a plan to step awaythislong.”
Wendell & Wildhits theaters Oct. 21, then launches on Netflix Oct. 28.
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