Doctor Who is entering a new age, and it will benefit from Marvel-style technology.
Russell T Davies is back at the helm of the BBC’s long-running sci-fi classic, with David Tennant returning as the 14th Doctor later this year before Ncuti Gatwa takes over the TARDIS.
Siân Reynish, VFX coordinator, has now remarked on some of the aesthetic changes that viewers will see in the upcoming episodes.
She told Doctor Who Magazine: ‘We’re using top of the range technology, the kind that Marvel films use, to make Doctor Who in Wales, which I think is pretty spectacular.
‘It means Doctor Who is at the forefront of pushing the boundaries. And in the Christmas special we’re shooting with drones on the set, which no one’s done before.’
The inclusion of drones appears to be a significant step that will provide a new perspective on the action in the TARDIS.
‘Because of the way the Doctor races erratically around the TARDIS, it’s amazing to have those sort of shots,’ she added.
Russell recently disclosed that the BBC opted to collaborate with Disney+, with the streamer putting money in the programme to take it to the next level.
‘We’re not on the budget level with Star Wars and the Marvel shows,’ he acknowledged. ‘[But the budget is] better than it was, yes yes yes. I mean any piece of television costs millions.’
He admitted: ‘We’re not allowed to talk about budget, and we’re not on that Star Wars or Star Trek level, but it’s more than I’ve ever had to work with.”
And with greater money comes more flexibility to ‘create tales on a larger scale,’ even if some of the ‘same challenges’ remain.
He explained: ‘Yes, I think it does, it’s one of the reason I’ve come back — you can tell stories on a bigger scale.
‘It’s the same old problems, I still have to cut scenes because they’re too expensive, and I still have to reduce the number of monsters, and things like that. But my imagination feels more free, a lot more free, actually.
‘It’s just a joy to write anyway. I’m really proud of it.’
Doctor Who returns to BBC One in November 2023.