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Practical Effects Are Bringing the Heart Back to Hollywood


Us breaks down why the overreliance on CGI is on its way out in movies and TV in favor of an old-school approach

Sure, blockbusters like The Matrix — and just about every Will Smith-saves-the-world-again alien epic — benefited, but even the most acclaimed actors struggled to mask the soullessness of using a tennis ball as a scene partner … and people noticed. When The Mandalorian premiered in 2019, Pedro Pascal’s miniature travel pal Grogu — known to adoring fans as “Baby Yoda” — instantly went viral, with Star Wars fanatics celebrating the decision to create a character using animatronics and puppeteering over digitized tricks. Everett Collection Nosferatu featured a Bill Skarsgard-donned faux penis that instantly made waves online (and now hangs proudly in the living room of costar Nicholas Hoult).

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