Oz Obsession: Updates & New Projects

In 2010 there were 5 Wizard of Oz films in some stage of development. In a little over a month, one of these films hits the big screen (Oz the Great and Powerful). Here's an updated on the 5 films I wrote about in my previous post "Oz Obsession: 5 Films in the Works").

UPDATES

Oz The Great and Powerful: Not much changed since the 2010 post other than they actually made it and it has a release date. In 2010, Sam Mendes was rumored to direct with Robert Downey Jr was to play the title role of Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs. Instead James Franco takes the title role with Sam Raimi directing. (Release Date March 8, 2013).

Oz: The Return of th Emerald City: Warner Brothers does not appear to be acting on this adaptation scripted by Josh Olson (A History of Violence). No release date or appearance of production or news related to this project which tells a darker story of Oz based in part of Todd McFarlane's Twisted Land of Oz toy series. (Status - Dead/On Hold)

Oz [New Line/Temple Hill]: No news or update on the adaptation based Twillight's film studio Temple Hill, produced by New Line Studio. The goal here was a truthful adaptation of the L. Frank Baum series, more in the vein of Harry Potter. It appears that Temple Hill has canceled this ambitious plan, and Darren Lemke's script appears to be something that at least at this time will not hit the big screen.(Status - Dead/On Hold)

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: John Boorman (Excaliber, Deliverance) also was to be working his own computer animated adaptation, but that appears to have also been put on hold. Boorman who even had test footage and images released, appears to for now be working on other projects. (Status - Dead/On Hold)

Wicked: Where other Oz projects have faded away, this one has remained and last July all signs pointed to a crucial next step in the project...a director to bring Winnie Holzman's musical book adaptation of Gregory Maguire's book to the screen. That director, Stephen Daldry. Universal Pictures appears to planning on producing and distribute with a 2014 release date.

Other Oz Film Projects

Dorothy of Oz: In the vein of "Return to Oz" this CGI film version by Summertime Entertainment has an impressive voice cast (Kelsey Grammer, Lea Michele, Martin Short, Dan Aykroyd, Jim Belushi, Hugh Dancy, Oliver Platt, and Bernadette Peters) and is based on the book by Frank Baum's great-grandson Roger S. Baum. The film is complete and has had private screenings but does not seem to have a domestic distributor or release date yet. (Status: Wrap, No Release Date).