Hey folks, Harry here...
I've no concept of what exactly Sam Raimi is up to with this WIZARD OF OZ project. Apparently at one point, Johnny Depp was to play the Wizard, after Robert Downey Jr had left the project. But now it seems that James Franco is up for the part - and all I want... is Jim Broadbent. I know, I'm thinking in terms of Frank Morgan, who played the fantastic Wizard of Oz in the Judy Garland original... and I've no notion of what tact the script is taking, but for me, The Wizard has always been a Carnival Barker, a traveling charlatan who made people dream and gave them comfort, but who somehow was transported to the land of Oz, where he somehow seized power in the Emerald City. Perhaps this film is about a young version of that character and his first venture to Oz, where he came to power, but I just don't know.
There is potential in starting with a prequel, and I have faith in Raimi, I'm just curious if they're launching this with the notion of joining up with the original Baum stories. It is a ready made franchise, if - and only if, the public somehow catches the Oz fever.
The impossible mountain that every attempt at cracking Baum's WIZARD OF OZ, since that spectacular Hollywood classic - has been the memory of it. Like trying to do FRANKENSTEIN after Karloff, or TARZAN after Weismuller... There's just something almost impenetrable about it. Everybody knows the original... and even if they don't - the pop culture visual memory is nearly inescapable. Everyone knows those WIZARD OF OZ songs, those designs, that look.
Now, I love RETURN TO OZ with a passion, but as great and wonderful and perfect as that film is, it did not catch on with a larger audience, although - it has a great cult following that has given it a life on Cable that it certainly didn't enjoy in theaters.
I'm hoping that Raimi goes for the illustrative look of the original books, and his quirky humor and manic energy, if applied correctly could truly be a wonder. BUT - after this summer, everyone will know that somewhere over the rainbow is ASGARD and not Oz... right?
The folks over at HEATVISION broke the story regarding Franco. But what's your take on the notion of a prequel OZ film with Franco as the young "wizard"?
