Sarah Greenwood, who studied Theatre Design at Wimbledon, has landed two of the five nominations in the category of Best Production Design at this year’s Oscars.
The nominations are for her work on the Churchill biopic Darkest Hour, directed by another UAL alumni, Joe Wright, and on Disney’s live action version of Beauty and the Beast, directed by Bill Condon.
Greenwood, well-known for her richly detailed sets in Anna Karenina and the Sherlock Holmes movies, served as production designer on Beauty and the Beast, which is now the highest-grossing live action musical of all time. The castle sets are filled with ornate details such as inlaid floors, crystal chandeliers, and seemingly endless gilding. The library is adorned with a astrological clock above the fireplace as well as armillary spheres, brass chandeliers, and antique books.
Darkest Hour brings to the screen a remarkable period in modern history – the time during which Winston Churchill inspired a nation to rise up to fight the imminent Nazi threat. To bring this world into focus, Greenwood recreates key locations – from the majestic Buckingham Palace to the warren of underground offices where the planning against the Germans took place, Greenwood made each locale an integral part of the story.
One of the world’s foremost production designers Greenwood has previously received four Oscar nominations for her work on Pride and Prejudice (2006), Atonement (2008) and Anna Karenina (2012), all with Joe Wright, and for the 2010 film, Sherlock Holmes. She is also the recipient of a BAFTA, Art Directors Guild Award, an Evening Standard British Film Award and a Royal Television Society Award.
Greenwood became an Honorary Fellow of UAL in 2012 and you can read an exclusive interview with her on the UAL website.
The Oscars will be announced on Sunday 4 March 2018.
Find out more about the BA Theatre Design Course at Wimbledon College of Arts.