Eternals VFX Supervisor Stephane Ceretti has confirmed that Pip the Troll was a last-minute addition to the film.
One of the biggest surprises in Marvel Studios’ Eternals was when Harry Styles popped up in the film’s mid-credits sequence as Eros, brother of Thanos. Joining him was his trusty sidekick Pip the Troll, played by comedian Patton Oswalt. Though their appearances were brief, it’s expected that both Eros and Pip the Troll will hold prominent places in future Marvel Cinematic Universe projects.
Some have criticized the visuals of Pip the Troll, with many believing the character’s design wasn’t on par with other CG characters seen in the MCU. It turns out that the troll was a late addition to the Eternals line-up. VFX supervisor Stephane Ceretti revealed to The Wrap that the film had a different ending at first and that Pip the Troll was a new addition to the final product.
“And we shot that during the additional photography. It was a different ending.”
“It was still with Harry Styles actually, but it was in the spaceship with all the other Eternals. It was a little bit more sad, and not as exciting in a way, so it didn’t kind of resonate. Chloe had that idea of bringing Pip, the troll, as his sidekick for the end of the movie. We did that pretty quick at the end.”
Ceretti described the process as “challenging to get… done in time” but ultimately the character was brought to life.
“…In the end you’re putting, for the first time, a CG character next to Harry Styles. And you’re thinking, “Hmm, Harry Styles is going to be hard to beat.” It is what it is. I still think it’s a fun moment. I still think it’s a lot of opportunities for fun stories later down the line. I hope it’s a character we’re going to see more, because he’s hilarious. What’s hilarious is that Patton has agreed to do it. And I think the best thing, there’s so many good possibilities because of that. And Harry doing that too is just freaking cool.”
Here is the film’s synopsis:
The story takes place across two time periods. One storyline is set in the past when they operated as a formidable team and a close family unit. The second storyline is in the present, when the group has fractured and split apart, content to live among humans, hiding in plain sight. The prevailing threat of the Deviants, which once again threatens the existence of mankind, means the Eternals need to put their differences aside and regroup.
Chloe Zhao directed Eternals from a script she co-wrote with Patrick Burleigh, Kaz Firpo, and Ryan Firpo. The cast of the Marvel Studios project includes Gemma Chan as Sersi, Richard Madden as Ikaris, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Lia McHugh as Sprite, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, Barry Keoghan as Druig, Don Lee as Gilgamesh, Kit Harington as Dane Whitman, Salma Hayek as Ajak, Angelina Jolie as Thena, Harry Styles as Starfox, and Mahershala Ali as Blade.
Eternals is available to stream on Disney Plus will be available on home media formats on February 15. Stay tuned for all the latest news on the future of Kit Harington’s Black Knight, Blade, and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content!
Source: The Wrap
