In Spike Jonze's cinematic adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are, forts are the obsession of the unruly main character, Max, who escapes into his fantasies by building the shelters. Providing the focal point—and perhaps the most striking visual element—for the movie version of Maurice Sendak's beloved children's book, the wooden structures also served as the central decorative statement at the film's New York premiere party on Tuesday night. Held inside the Museum of Modern Art immediately following the screening at Alice Tully Hall, the Warner Brothers event for 700 guests was designed and produced by Events in Motion in preparation for the film's Friday release.
Spread throughout the museum's street-level lobby and second floor, the setting played up the movie's forest backdrop with custom fabricated trees, including one that stood 20 feet high, placed around the bars and lounges. For the reserved seating areas, the production crew fashioned curved enclosures reminiscent of the fortin the film by weaving bare branches around metal frames.
Further accenting the woodsy design, Events in Motion furnished the venue with distressed pine wood couches, cocktail tables covered in wood patterned paper, woven coffee tables, and brown suede sofas. And to add warmth to the typically white space, Bentley Meeker projected textured leaf patterns onto the ceilings and floors and lit the rest of the space in amber.
With plenty of room to mingle and tables to sit at, the guests hit the buffet tables early, where a hearty spread from Sonnier & Castle included braised beef short rib in bordelaise sauce, roasted fall vegetables, and turnips and chestnuts glazed with honey and rosemary. There was also a selection of desserts including deep-dish apple pie, old-fashioned chocolate cake, and cupcakes.
