Get ready to travel to an alternate 1990s! The Electric State, the highly anticipated film from directors Anthony and Joe Russo, based on Simon Stålenhag’s stunning illustrated novel, is just around the corner. A recent behind-the-scenes video has offered a fascinating glimpse into the unique creative process that brought this retro-futuristic world to life.
From Real Lakes to Digital Worlds
Building the film’s unique world involved a fascinating blend of the real and the digital. Instead of relying solely on CGI or soundstages, the team ventured out to scan real locations, including the breathtaking landscapes around two beautiful lakes in Norway. This meticulous data collection allowed them to precisely determine the perfect location, angle, and even sun position for each shot, grounding the fantastical setting in a sense of reality before the digital enhancements were layered on top.
Bringing Robots to Life with Heart (and Mo-Cap)
Perhaps one of the most distinctive elements of Stålenhag’s work, and the film, are the robots. The video highlights their striking retro-futuristic design, directly inspired by the illustrated novel. Bringing these mechanical characters to life was a complex process heavily reliant on motion capture technology. It wasn’t just about technology, though; actors dedicated months to preparing the physical movements necessary to embody these diverse robot personalities. The video shows mo-cap performers working alongside the main cast on set, with optical-based mo-cap also used later for fine-tuning performances. The visual effects were expertly handled by several top-tier VFX companies, ensuring these creations are visually stunning.
Capturing the Alternate ’90s Vibe
The film’s setting in an alternate 1990s, where humans and robots share the world, provided a rich canvas for production design. The team intentionally incorporated nostalgic elements from that era throughout the film. In a truly fascinating detail, to achieve an authentic, gritty ’90s VHS look for certain visual effects, they took the extraordinary step of recording their finished VFX shots onto actual old VHS tapes – a unique approach to capturing the era’s aesthetic!
A Star-Studded Journey
Adding to the excitement is an incredible ensemble cast, featuring talents like Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Jason Alexander, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, Giancarlo Esposito, and Stanley Tucci.
See it on Netflix
From scanning real Norwegian landscapes to bringing retro-futuristic robots to life with dedicated performances and even recording effects onto VHS, the behind-the-scenes look at The Electric State reveals a production deeply committed to realizing Simon Stålenhag’s unique vision.
The Electric State premiered globally on Netflix on March 14, 2025.
