Last night, a deal was finalized to have cult filmmaker and director of the three “Spiderman” films, Sam Raimi, helm a 3-D prequel to the classic Wizard of Oz. Making the announcement more enticing yet is Robert Downey Jr. He is by far one of the most desirable stars around and has been tipped to portray the famed “wizard”.
Unlike Raimi, Downey Jr. has not been locked in to the tentatively titled Oz: The Great and Powerful, but writers want to develop the role for him. The production sounds suspiciously similar to Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland from the huge star in a major role to the director’s off-kilter style to the mythical land to the format (the list goes on).
Unlike the 1939 original or the 1985 flop Return to Oz, this prequel does not seem to be based on one of L. Frank Baum’s books, but would follow The Wizard before he became famous.
All eyes have been on Raimi since his decision to leave the “Spiderman” franchise with theories flying about his next project. With his Drag Me to Hell follow-up now clear, the new question is if he can keep his impressive cinematic track record unblemished.
