The School for Good and Evil Trivia | 40 facts about the movie

«The School for Good and Evil» is a 2022 Netflix original film based on the novel of the same name by Soman Chainani.

Let’s find out more about the movie!

1. The School for Good and Evil is a 2022 fantasy film.
2. It was based on the novel of the same name by Soman Chainani.
3. The film was directed by Paul Feig.
4. The screenplay was co-written by Paul Feig and David Magee.
5. The film stars an ensemble cast led by Sophia Anne Caruso as Sophie and Sofia Wylie as Agatha, two best friends who are sent to the Schools for Good and Evil. After their fortunes are seemingly reversed, their friendship is put to the test.
6. The film’s development began in 2013.
7. Back then the rights to the novel was acquired by Roth Films and Jane Startz Productions, with Universal Pictures initially set to release the film.
8. After the project languished in development hell, Netflix took over in 2017, and Feig was hired to direct three years later.
9. Principal photography took place in Northern Ireland between January and July 2021.
10. The School for Good and Evil was released on October 19, 2022 by Netflix.
11. It received negative reviews from critics, who praised its cast and visuals, but criticized the narrative and storytelling.
12. Paul Feig did not want the film to look similar to the Harry Potter film series and thus chose Andy Nicholson as production designer.
13. Due to Feig’s dislike of green screens and hope for “the characters and the actors to be performing in that world so they become part of it”, much of the scenery was constructed, including the Schools for Good and Evil.
14. The two sound stages constructed at Belfast Harbour Studios played a crucial role in that.
15. The only scenes that used green screens were those in the beginning and those including Rafal, since the skies had to be altered.
16. The film’s style takes inspiration from Art Nouveau, which Feig noticed while filming Spy (2015) in Budapest, Hungary.
17. Paul Feig stated this avoided comparisons to other films, being “both garish and over the top”.
18. Nicholson subsequently incorporated elements from other architects, including Antoni Gaudí and Victor Horta, creating “this big melting point of design”.
19. The team was allowed to “take over” St Anne’s Cathedral. During the two weeks they worked there, the crew transformed the area into “this big, almost sound-stage type space … with so much detail”
20. The costumes maintained the design’s individuality and distinctiveness, with Reneé Kalfus and Feig designing them.
21. It felt fitting that each character would bring their own sense of style and culture given that many of the characters are the children of well-known fairy tale characters. Feig said he allowed Kalfus to “run wild” with this concept.
22. The costumes were inspired by a variety of media, including classic fairy tales and Beyoncé.
23. Unlike the books, the film the students do not wear uniforms, allowing, according to Chainani, more creativity.
24. The actors were encouraged to contribute to their costumes. In particular, Theron wanted Lesso to have a tailored and severe silhouette; she also suggested the ginger hair and showed Feig various reference photos.
25. Caruso discussed Sophie’s evolution of style with Kalfus, including with “princessy” dresses and “potato sack” uniform at the School for Evil. She eventually transitions into punk glam costumes, which Caruso felt needed “such a specific type of hot that suits her fiery spirit”
26. Wylie insisted on keeping her curly hair, wanting to show such hair can still be associated with princesses.
27. Over 800 costumes and 600 pairs of shoes were produced by more than 70 costumers.
28. The wolf characters are “guys in suits, with animatronic heads” so the actors had something to act against.
29. Soman Chainani, the author of the book series on which the film is based, makes a cameo as one of the teachers from the School of Evil.
30. The soundtrack features Brutal by Olivia Rodrigo.
31. Olivia and star Sofia Wylie (Agatha) previously starred together in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019)
32. As of Oct 2022, some of the costumes are on display in a Netflix pop-up store at The Grove in Los Angeles, CA.
33. The soundtrack features the song “Space Man” by Sam Ryder, who represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 which took place in Turin,Italy in May 2022. The song finished second,behind winners Ukraine,and gave them their best result since 2006.
34. Patti Lupone,Michelle Yeoh and Rob Delaney all starred in Last Christmas (2019) which was also directed by Paul Feig.
35. Paul Feig previously directed Patti LuPone in Last Christmas (2018).
36. This is Paul Feig’s third film to be shot in a Univisium 2.00:1 aspect ratio since A Simple Favor (2018) & Last Christmas (2019).
37. It’s Paul Feig’s Netflix Debut.
38. After the film wrapped, Feig began editing,^[22] with Erik Nordby as effects supervisor.
39. The film’s visual effects were provided by British companies DNEG and Framestore
40. In the books the stymph is a bird made of bones that takes children to the Schools for Good and Evil. The team wanted it to be sentient while retaining its bones. They researched bird skeletons and decayed birds, studying the way the tissue and feathers stay on the bones, and the interactions of these three things. The team used computer-generated imagery to add expressions and emotions to the animatronic characters