While it seems like forever that I wrote my first news article on the exciting prequel to Wizard of Oz, director Sam Raimi has officially selected leads for Oz: The Great & Powerful. Hit the jump to read more about who’s on board!
It appears that Date Night co-stars (yes, I said co-stars- not stars- not Steve Carrell and Tina Fey) James Franco (127 Hours) and Mila Kunis (Black Swan) are officially topping the casting list. Franco will be playing the lead title role, Oz, the wizard who Dorothy sought after in the 1939 classic starring Judy Garland. Kunis is set to play “Theodorah who goes on to become the Wicked Witch of the West in ‘The Wizard Of Oz,’” according to Film Shaft.
Kunis was recently attached to Akira, a live action remake of 1988 movie directed by the Hughes Brothers, but when Oz came calling, this year’s Golden Globe nominated actress changed her mind.
For those of you who are just finding out about Oz: The Great & Powerful, the story follows, “the character [Oz, who] is forced to flee a traveling circus. His hot air balloon is swept up by a tornado to the land of Oz, which is run by two magical wicked witches, one of which is Kunis’ character,” according to NME.
Although the plot conflicts with the beloved Broadway story, Wicked, it sounds like a whole lot of fun which will bring new followers to the classic movie that gave us celebrated lines of movie magic like, “There’s no place like home.”
Since Robert Downey Jr. and Johnny Depp both turned away from the lead role, I was beginning to think that this project would never come to fruition. There are many more roles still left to fill, including that of a young Glinda, who is supposed to be Oz’s love interest, as well as the other witches in Theodorah’s coven. Although Franco has a very busy schedule lined up, Vulture tells us that “the closely guarded Oz script, reimagined most recently by playwright turned screenwriter David Lindsay-Abaire “can now begin production” with her [Kunis] involvement.” With this, “We’re told that Franco finally agreed to do the picture.“
Filming will commence in July. What do you think about Franco and Kunis heading up the cast? Are they a believable pair to fill in the shoes of L. Frank Baum’s beloved characters? Tell us what you think!
Recent Comments