Over the years, there have been many different interpretations of L. Frank Baum’s classic The Wizard of Oz. Of course, the most famous is the beloved 1939 version starring Judy Garland as the dreamer, Dorothy Gale. However, Disney and Spiderman director Sam Raimi are now officially in talks to develop a prequel called Oz: The Great and Powerful. The story chronicles the wizard’s start as a circus wrangler, the tornado that brings him to Oz, and how he came to be “the wonderful wizard of Oz.” At first, names like Tim Burton (Alice in Wonderland), and Terry Gilliam (The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus) were in consideration to take on directorial duties, but Raimi is now the driving force to bring this story to life.
As for casting rumors, Deadline reports that Robert Downey Jr. is Raimi’s top choice to play the film’s lead, which is likely to be in 3D. Since Downey Jr.’s uproarious career comeback with box-office hits like Tropic Thunder, the Iron Man films, and Sherlock Holmes, he would be the ultimate hot ticket to draw audiences in. Not to mention he has upcoming roles in Due Date, Sherlock Holmes 2, and The Avengers. With Raimi in, it’s likely that his younger brother, Ted Raimi (all three Spiderman films), good friend Bruce Campbell (Burn Notice), and underrated funnyman J. K. Simmons (Juno) will all appear in the movie.
The Baltimore Sun muses that the teaming of Raimi and Downey Jr. is perfect because, “Downey is a great actor adept at playing showmen like Charlie Chaplin and Tony Stark.” Also, adding that “Raimi displayed a knack for making special effects both visceral and lyrical [in his Spiderman movies]. And Raimi has the smarts to realize that part of the enduring power of the 1939 The Wizard of Oz is how scary it dares to be with its Wicked Witch and Winged Monkeys.”
Since Raimi dropped out of the Spiderman series, there was much speculation over what his next project would be, according to BCSReview.com. Disney and Raimi can rely on Tony nominee (Shrek: The Musical) and Pulitzer Prize winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire to work his magic for the movie’s script. Lindsay-Abaire has previously worked with Raimi creating the nixed Spiderman 4 script. He recently adapted his play, Rabbit Hole, into a highly anticipated, Oscar-bound big screen version, which stars Nicole Kidman (The Hours) and Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight).
The entertainment industry has embraced Wizard over and over again, as seen in Sci Fi channel’s 2007 Emmy winning mini series, Tin Man. It starred Zooey Deschanel ((500) Days of Summer) as “D.G.,” and was a reimagining of Wizard for a modern audience. Additionally, you can’t talk about Wizard without talking about Wicked. Gregory Maguire’s novel, Wicked, was adapted as a widely successful Tony winning Broadway smash, introducing the world to powerhouse performers like Kristin Chenoweth (Pushing Daisies) and Idina Menzel (Glee). For those of you who don’t know, Wicked focuses on the compelling back-story of the famed Wicked Witch, Elphaba, and her relationship with Glinda, the Good Witch, long before Dorothy ever arrives in Oz. These adaptations are clearly evidence that audiences have always held a special place in their hearts for the wonderment that is Oz.
Oz: The Great and Powerful will probably be a darker-themed story, as compared to the beloved Judy Garland tale. There is no word yet if it will feature any musical numbers like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” that helped propel the original to be a timeless pop culture reference. Set to begin filming early next year, release is expected for early 2013, just a tap of your heels away (sort of)!
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