What do girls’ soccer, plane crashes, cannabilism, and classic English literature all have in common? They’re all an intricate part of Showtime’s latest breakthrough drama, Yellowjackets .
So far, the show has been a whirlwind of success, offering up far more questions than are answers. For those who are just getting started or who are a little late to the party, here are 15 facts about Yellowjackets that fans probably didn’t know.
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The casting of the present-day versions of the characters adds an underlying element of irony.
The series is primarily led by a stellar cast of young up-and-coming actresses. Melanie Lynsky, Juliette Lewis, and Christina Ricci (who play the current versions of the characters) were at one time up-and-coming teenage stars in their own right.
‘Yellowjackets’ co-creators are married in real life.
Co-creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson had previously worked on series such as Narcos and The Originals . They were able to keep their working relationship strictly professional — so much so that certain members of the cast had no idea that they were even married.
The show was inspired by the real-world tragedy of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571.
Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crash-landed into the Andes mountain range in South America. There were initially 29 survivors, but by the time the horrific ordeal was over (72 days later), those numbers were reduced by nearly half.
Having the show air individual episodes on a weekly basis is all a part of the overarching mystique.
“It’s a more interesting way of having things fall away,” Ashley Lyle told The Hollywood Reporter . “The mask is even thicker. It’s a more layered amount of preconceived notions of how to behave and act.”
‘Yellowjackets’ is also a modern retelling of William Goldings’ “Lord Of The Flies.”
At its core, ” Lord of the Flies ” is a story about how the construct of society is an illusion. That when push comes to shove in a fight for survival, human beings will always result to their most selfish base instincts.
Originally, ‘Yellowjackets’ was going to take place in the ’70s and the ’90s.
In the very early stages of production, co-creators Lyle and Nickerson wanted the show to have an aesthetic similar to Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused . After Showtime signed on to produce, the network convinced them to change the setting to the ’90s/present day .
Co-creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson know exactly how the show is going to end.
According to Bart Nickerson, part of the initial pitch for Yellowjackets included the final scene for the entire series. If Bart and Ashley have their way, Yellowjackets will come to an end after five seasons .
One scene, in particular, was utterly terrifying to film for actress Ella Purnell.
“We shot the plane up on this weird rig,” Ella told Vulture . “It was on an angle and shaking around and moving back and forth. And you have everything, the plane windows, and the seats. Your brain doesn’t really know the difference, so immediately it does panic.”
The music is integral to the script.
Fans of the series will no doubt recall the endless supply of ’90s hits littered throughout. According to an interview that Lyle and Nickerson gave to The Hollywood Reporter , several of the songs were actually scripted in.
‘Yellowjackets’ is one of the most buzzed-about TV shows currently on air.
Since the debut of Season 1, Yellowjackets has been both a critical and commercial success. As of right now, it currently boasts an impressive Average Tomatometer score of 100%
Most of the cast have no idea which direction the show plans on taking.
In an interview with Vulture , actress Tawny Cypress explained “I specifically said I did not want to know anything my character didn’t know, so I was told nothing , except when I went to the hair and makeup trailer and then they talked relentlessly, I found out everything!”
There are a ton of fan theories about the show.
Even though there are countless channels, subreddits, etc. devoted to figuring out just what exactly is going on in Yellowjackets , fans still haven’t come close to hitting the mark. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see!
Melanie Lynskey was the first person to be cast.
Both Lyle and Nickerson told The Hollywood Reporter that once Lynskey signed on, they knew that the show would be a success — due largely to the fact that Lynskey herself is such a talented actress.
Character development was a purely collaborative process.
Jasmine Savoy Brown told Vulture that ” Tawny and I talked about little things. I called her one day on set like, ‘Oh my God, do we say ‘ ee -ther’ or ‘ eye -ther’?’ I think those are the small details that really tie it together.”
Christina Ricci was pregnant for the filming of the entire first season.
You’d never know it just by looking at her, but by the time filming wrapped on Season 1 of Yellowjackets , Christina Ricci was a full 7-months pregnant . This is why Christina’s character, Misty, is always shown wearing a jacket or sweater.
