A24’s The Legend of Ochi introduces instantly memorable film creatures in the blue-faced, golden-furred Ochi, who live on the fictional island of Carpathia in the Black Sea. These fantastic animals were brought to life using techniques like puppeteering, animatronics, and performers in suits, all of which combine in a beautiful celebration of practical filmmaking.
To learn more about working with the Ochi, Mashable Entertainment Reporter Belen Edwards sat down with The Legend of Ochi‘s director Isaiah Saxon, as well as stars Helena Zengel, Finn Wolfhard, and Emily Watson.
“It really was a living thing,” Wolfhard said of his first impression of the Baby Ochi puppet.
“It was scary because it was so lifelike,” added Zengel, whose character Yuri spends the film trying to bring the Baby Ochi back home to its parents.
For Saxon, who makes his feature debut with The Legend of Ochi, seeing the puppet was the culmination of years’ worth of development. In the film, seven puppeteers operate the Baby Ochi, while Paul “The Birdman” Manalatos provided the creature’s vocalizations.
“It’s kind of a miracle,” Saxon said. “It adds up to the feeling of something alive that can share a scene with Willem Dafoe and hold its own.”
The Legend of Ochi is now in theaters.
