Merrick here...
Yesterday we learned that Steve Kloves, scipter of the HARRY POTTER films, is being brought in to hammer away on a new version of AKIRA's live-action adaptation (details HERE).
Now comes word that Mila Kunis, who'd been previously associated with that picture, is jumping ship and heading over to Sam Raimi's OZ, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL where she'll star as, essentially, as The Wicked Witch of the West - evidently opposite James Franco's balloonist/Wizard-to-be.
Per THIS piece at Vulture, Raimi's film...
...tells the story of the origins of the Wizard, and of Oz's infamous witches like Glinda, who becomes the Good Witch of the North, and Evanorah, who becomes the Wicked Witch of the East (though best remembered as the new, ruby-slippered sub-basement of Dorothy’s farmhouse).
After a recent meeting with Raimi and Wizard James Franco, all agreed that Kunis would be perfect for the part of Theodorah, the younger sister of Evanorah who goes on to become the Wicked Witch of the West and, of course, to cackle iconic lines like, “I’ll get you, my pretty … and your little dog, too!” With her involvement assured, we're told that Franco finally agreed to do the picture.
For a little while it looked like Johnny Depp might take the "Wizard" role. Franco, while not as high profile and "safe" as Depp, is a far less obvious and far more interesting choice as far as I'm concerned.
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