Fantastical Munchkin village built in the Chilterns for Hollywood adaptation of hit musical Wicked

Dorothy famously told Toto that she felt like they weren’t in Kansas anymore.

And the locals in Ivinghoe could be forgiven for thinking they are no longer in Buckinghamshire after a fabulous village was built for the upcoming movie Wicked.

The story, which is loosely based on the Wizard of Oz, will see Ariana Grande as Glinda the Good Witch and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West.

Photos obtained by the Daily Mail show a circle of higgledy-piggledy cottages with colorful thatched roofs and what appear to be the bare bones of the yellow stone road in the middle of a field.

A planning application to transform the land into the fictional Munchkinland was submitted last year by Western Sky Limited and construction is set to begin in November.

The film set is set in Ivinghoe, Buckinghamshire, for the Hollywood adaptation of the hit musical Wicked

According to the application, the majority of the sets are prefabricated at Sky Studios Elstree.

Filming on the newly erected set was scheduled to begin on Thursday, April 6 and continue through August 4 with six night shots ending at 3:30 am.

The production company is “actively exploring the opportunity to include work experience in production for media and film students” at a local school and will also conduct “educational filmmaking seminars and workshops” at local colleges.

Despite no written objections, some locals were less than enchanted by the set, with some describing it as an ‘encroachment on the landscape’.

Last week, Miss Grande revealed that they were “half way through” shooting the movie and that she was “just enjoying a millisecond more” of her character.

She said the role was “transforming and healing parts of me that I never knew needed.”

She wrote alongside a photo of her standing under a rainbow, adding, “I don’t want it to end. So while I’m still here, present, now, I just wanted to… exclaim my great [gratitude]! And let my heart overflow.

“I hope this isn’t all a dream because no matter how present I try to be, it sure feels like a dream.

The towering rooftops of the village rise above the picturesque Buckinghamshire countryside

Photos obtained by the Daily Mail show a circle of higgledy-piggledy cottages with colorful thatched roofs

Photos also show what appears to be the bare bones of the yellow stone road in the middle of a field

According to a planning application, the majority of the sets have been prefabricated at Sky Studios Elstree

Singer Ariana Grande (right) has been cast as Glinda the Good Witch, while Cynthia Erivo (left) will play Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. Pictured: The pair leave Ronnie Scott’s in London on April 7

“Fortunately half way through this most beautiful crew… my heart will stay here forever.”

Wicked, based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel of the same name, was first performed on Broadway in 2003 and premiered three years later at the Apollo Theater in London.

Frozen’s Idina Menzel played Elphaba in both debut productions.

Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, who co-wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway show, will be editing the screenplay while Jon M Chu will direct.

Chu, who was behind Crazy Rich Asians, said directing the “timeless story” was akin to “being invited to Oz by the wizard himself.”

Miss Grande posted a selection of behind-the-scenes photos with Miss Erivo, 36, in October with the pair wearing ballet shoes — pink for Miss Grande while her co-star wore black and green as a nod to her character.

Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum and Jonathan Bailey of Bridgerton fame will also star in the upcoming movie that will be released in two parts.

Wicked is scheduled for release on November 27, 2024.