‘I Thought It Was A Real Animal’: The Legend Of Ochi Stars Were Floored By The Creatures, And I Had A Big Reaction Too

The term ‘Movie magic’ refers to the stunning illusions viewers see on the screen, but it’s not just what we see that’s magical – the best instances have a touch of enchantment off-screen too. The mythical creatures in the upcoming 2025 film The Legend Of Ochi, for instance, epitomize this. During my screening, I was astounded by the lifelike blue and orange simians, and their ability to communicate added to the wonder, but even after director Isaiah Saxon shouted “cut”, Finn Wolfhard and Helena Zengel were still awestruck by them.

In the tale titled “The Legend Of Ochi“, Zengel assumes the role of Yuri, a youthful girl who discovers a baby Ochi and vows to reunite it with its kin. Concurrently, Wolfhard portrays Petro, her adoptive sibling, who teams up with their father, played by Willem Dafoe, in a quest to locate Yuri and eliminate the mythical creature. During our conversation earlier this month during the film’s virtual press day, they shared insights about working with the practical creation on set. I inquired whether the enchantment persisted between takes, and Wolfhard recounted how he often encountered a living animal.

In simpler terms, there is a group of people, or puppeteers, who control this puppet. They act in many ways, bringing the creature to life through their performance. It seems so lively! When they yell “Cut,” you typically pause for a moment, but it looks incredibly realistic. Although it doesn’t express as much when they’re not performing, if you placed the Ochi puppet in a forest, someone might mistake it for a real, deceased, extinct creature.

In contemporary Hollywood productions, it’s often the case that visual effects artists handle creature designs. However, Isaiah Saxon recognized that the Ochi required a tangible quality to support his narrative, and this aspect is palpable on the silver screen. Although you intellectually grasp that it’s an intricate animatronic and textured creation, your emotional mind perceives it as a genuine, living creature. This lifelike portrayal significantly enhances the story’s tension.

In The Legend of Ochi, Helena Zengel shared the same thoughts as her fellow actors regarding the design of the creature. She even went so far as to express that the Ochi seemed so lifelike, it was downright terrifying.

The puppeteers truly brought the character to life, making it appear as if it were real. Interestingly, the eyes seemed to blink using some sort of remote control device, while the mouth moved convincingly. The lifelike quality was so striking that it gave me a genuine sense of fear – I thought it might be an actual extinct animal brought back to life. Overall, their work was exceptional and played a crucial role in making the character feel alive. Without them, the character wouldn’t have been nearly as effective or memorable.

This year, the film titled “The Legend of Ochi” made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival and was acquired for distribution by A24. Featuring the skilled Emily Watson, the movie is currently showing in cinemas, managing to enter the Top 10 of the domestic box office while being screened in just under 1,200 locations.

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2025-04-29 04:37