The Legend of Ochi (/ˈoʊtʃi/) is an upcoming American fantasy adventure film written and directed by Isaiah Saxon in his feature film debut. The film stars Helena Zengel, Finn Wolfhard, Emily Watson, and Willem Dafoe. It is scheduled to be released by A24 on February 28, 2025.[1]
| The Legend of Ochi | |
|---|---|
 Teaser poster | |
| Directed by | Isaiah Saxon |
| Written by | Isaiah Saxon |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Evan Prosofsky |
| Edited by | Paul Rogers |
| Music by | David Longstreth |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | A24 |
Release date |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $10 million |
Premise
editIn a remote northern village, a young girl, Yuri, is raised to never go outside after dark and to fear the reclusive forest creatures known as the ochi. When a baby ochi is left behind by its pack, she embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to reunite it with its family.
Cast
edit- Helena Zengel as Yuri
- Willem Dafoe as Maxim
- Finn Wolfhard as Petro
- Emily Watson as Dasha
Production
editDevelopment
editOn November 10, 2021, it was reported that Isaiah Saxon would write and direct The Legend of Ochi, a fantasy adventure film starring Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson, Finn Wolfhard and Helena Zengel.[2][3]
Filming
editSome scenes of the film were shot in Transylvania, in the Apuseni Mountains, at the Bâlea Lake and on the Transfăgărășan road. Principal photography started in Romania on November 1, 2021, and continued at the Castel Film Studios until December 15, 2021.[4][5]
Visual effects
editThe films makes use of puppetry, animatronics, computer animation and matte paintings. The titular creature was a puppet, operated by 7 performers.[6][7]
References
edit- ^ "The Legend of Ochi". A24. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (November 10, 2021). "A24 Greenlights Fantasy Epic 'The Legend Of Ochi' From Director Isaiah Saxon". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
- ^ Welk, Brian (November 10, 2021). "Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson, Finn Wolfhard to Star in Fantasy Epic 'The Legend of Ochi' for A24". The Wrap. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
- ^ FNE Staff (November 19, 2021). "The Legend of Ochi Shooting in Romania With Willem Dafoe and Emily Watson". www.filmneweurope.com. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
- ^ Fodor, Simona (November 16, 2021). "Scenes from fantasy adventure starring Willem Dafoe filmed in Romania". www.romania-insider.com. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
- ^ Saxon, Isaiah. "this film took 6 years to make on $10m budget. i personally made 200+ matte paintings. i've been making handmade films that feel painted since 2005. along came AI, and now we have crusaders like you shitting on people who've dedicated their life to craft". X. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ Saxon, Isaiah. "those sheep are fully in camera. every shot of the baby ochi in the trailer is 100% animatronic puppet operated by 7 people live. no AI was used in this film". X. Retrieved 17 October 2024.